MALAYSIA Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) is targeting mid-December 2026 to begin commercial operations of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), bringing forward the original January 2027 timeline to coincide with the year-end school holidays.
MRL, the project and asset owner of the 665-kilometre rail network, said the target was achievable based on positive results from the ECRL’s ongoing testing and commissioning programme.
The testing includes the integration of signalling, communications, traction power and overhead catenary systems, while further tests will involve passenger electric multiple units (EMUs) and electric locomotives (E-Locos).
The target follows a request from the Transport Ministry to bring forward the launch of the first-phase service, which will connect Kota Bharu to Gombak.
MRL chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said Phase 1 of the project had reached 98.16% completion as at September 2026, putting the company on track for the targeted launch.
“We are optimistic that the ECRL will upon full operation serve as a green mode of transportation for both passengers and freight, traversing across a 665-kilometre electric rail network through the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Selangor,” Darwis stated.
He said the ECRL would improve connectivity between state capitals, towns, urban centres, industrial hubs, ports and tourism areas, while connecting with existing railway lines in Peninsular Malaysia.
MRL said the ECRL’s System Integration Testing (SIT) had produced positive results, allowing the Fault-Free Run (FFR) involving EMUs and E-Locos to begin in October instead of November.
The company said the FFR requirements agreed with the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) include a 3,000-kilometre run for the first EMU, followed by 1,500 kilometres for subsequent EMUs.
For E-Locos, the first unit will undergo a 3,000-kilometre FFR, including 2,500 kilometres with maximum formation and load and another 500 kilometres without load. Subsequent E-Locos will undergo 1,250-kilometre FFRs under various formation and load conditions.
MRL said the rolling stock had also undergone dedicated-track testing by its manufacturer in China before being shipped to Malaysia. The EMUs and E-Locos subsequently passed Factory Acceptance Tests, with the reports verified by MRL.
Darwis stressed that the accelerated timeline would not come at the expense of safety or technical standards.
“Every stage, from the handover to the Fault-Free Run (FFR), is being carried out in accordance with the same stringent safety and technical standards,” he stressed.
“While the timeline has been compressed to facilitate commercial operations by mid-December 2026, we are not compromising on safety, quality or the integrity of the testing and commissioning process.”
MRL also highlighted the performance of its Comprehensive Inspection Train (CIT), which recently completed a non-stop 519-kilometre journey from Gombak to Kota Bharu in three hours and 19 minutes, reaching speeds of up to 160kph.
The company said the run demonstrated the ECRL’s ability to provide an express service between Gombak, KotaSAS, Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu in under four hours.
The ECRL is expected to reduce travel time between Kota Bharu and Gombak to about four hours, compared with around seven hours by road.
MRL said integration testing was also ongoing for the ECRL’s ticketing system and payment gateway ahead of the commercial launch.
The Transport Ministry is expected to announce ECRL fares this month, with ticket sales targeted to begin in November. MRL has said fares are expected to be lower than airfares but slightly higher than bus fares.
For the first phase, services are expected to operate 12 return trips daily from Monday to Thursday and 14 return trips from Friday to Sunday.
MRL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Minister of Finance (Incorporated) and owns the ECRL project and assets. It holds a 50% stake in ECRL Operation Sdn Bhd, the joint venture responsible for operating and maintaining the rail network.
The 665-kilometre ECRL will run through Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang before connecting to Selangor. The second phase from Gombak to Port Klang is scheduled for completion in December 2027, with full operations expected from January 2028.‒ Oct 6, 2026
Main image:Bernama
