ECRL targets road freight with capacity to replace 90 trucks per train
The railway would connect ports on both coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, with commercial services due to begin on December 12, 2026.
Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) could replace as many as 90 container trucks with a single freight train, said Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak, chief executive officer of Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL). He put each train’s capacity at about 45 wagons, or 90 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
In a Bernama interview during Transport Expo Asia 2026, Darwis outlined connections from Kuantan Port to Westports and Northport in Port Klang, with Kemaman Port to be linked eventually. He said businesses moving goods over distances exceeding 200 kilometres could benefit economically from using rail.
Darwis said lower costs and more dependable delivery times were potential benefits, but securing freight customers would depend on pricing, timetable reliability and last-mile links. Road transport would still be required for the final delivery of goods.
Construction was 98.16 per cent complete in October, Darwis said. The 665-kilometre railway is scheduled for trials in November, followed by the start of commercial operations on December 12, 2026. Its route covers four states: Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
For passenger journeys linking Gombak with Kota Bharu, Darwis gave an express travel time of about four hours and a transit service time below five hours.
Responsibility for operating and maintaining the line would rest with ECRL Operations Sdn Bhd. The company is owned equally by MRL and China Communications Construction Company. Darwis said the partnership aims to develop Malaysian railway expertise, with technology transfer to the local workforce targeted within five years.
