FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

KAMPUS PASIR GUDANG

DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS STUDIES(TRANSPORT)

TPT150 INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

TITLE:
East Coast Rail Link Project

PREPARED BY:
MOHAMAD LUQMAN FIRDAUS BIN MOHD PADILAH
(2021122889)

PREPARED FOR
SITI NORADIBAH BINTI AZMAN

CLASS
J4BA1172B
 Table of Content

No. Content Page

1. Introduction 3

2. Concepts 3-4

3. Description 5-6

4. Benefits 7-8

5. Improvement for the future 9

6. Conclusion 9

7. Reference 10
Introduction

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is a critical piece of infrastructure that will act as
the backbone for economic growth along Peninsular Malaysia's east coast. The general
alignment of the ECRL rail network is designed to boost connectivity across the East Coast
region and to connect it to the West Coast, while also considering potential development in
the industrial, economic, logistical, and tourism sectors along the corridor. Economic
Accelerator Projects (EAPs) are intended to stimulate economic activity along the ECRL
corridor by maximising economic benefits and increasing passenger and freight traffic
volumes. Economic growth and development in the East Coast states (Kelantan, Terengganu,
and Pahang) will almost probably be boosted.

This Is the New Alignment for ECRL Project

Concept

ECRL Project alignment has 20 stations with 665-kilometer length. The new rail link is
expected to connect passengers from Kota Bharu in Kelantan to ITT Gombak in Selangor in
less than four hours. It will commence north of Kuala Lumpur at the Integrated Transport
Terminal Gombak (ITT Gombak), which will act as an interchange for the Kelana Jaya Line
and a significant long-distance bus terminal in the future. The route will go east from the
Klang Valley across Pahang, servicing the towns of Bentong, Mentakab, Maran, and
Gambang, as well as KotaSAS, before arriving at the state capital, Kuantan, where two
stations would be constructed: Kuantan Port City 2 (freight) and Kuantan Port City 1.
(passenger).

The route would go north from Kuantan to Cherating before entering Terengganu,
serving the cities of Chukai, Kemasik, Kerteh (Provisional), Dungun, Pengkalan Berangan,
the state capital Kuala Terengganu, as well as Telaga Papan and the Kampung Raja region.
The ECRL will continue north into Kelantan, providing service to Tok Bali and Jelawat
stations before ending in Kota Bharu.

The railroad link is 50 kilometres long and includes tunnelling and subterranean
alignment. Tunnelling will take place in the Gombak-Bentong route, where the world's
longest twin hill tunnel, spanning 18 kilometres beneath the Titiwangsa Mountains, will be
built. Additionally, additional subterranean lines will be constructed, including one in the
heavily populated Gombak neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur's city centre.

However, following the 2018 election, the new Pakatan Harapan government planned
to terminate the project, but instead elected to alter the route, notably Section C between Port
Klang and Mentakab, Pahang. The journey time from Kota Bharu to Port Klang would be
increased by two hours, from four to six hours as a result of this realignment.

Finally, following another government transition in 2020, from Pakatan Harapan to

Perikatan Nasional, the Perikatan Nasional government aims to restore the ECRL route to its
original alignment. The second realignment is confirmed for March 2021, with the alignment
reverting to its original alignment but with the added benefit of passing through Serendah and
linking Port Klang to West and North Port. According to sources, the decision allows for the
inclusion of a metre gauge bypass line between Serendah and Port Klang for Keretapi Tanah
Melayu Bhd (KTMB) in the new ECRL route. Dual gauge will be used on Section C between
Serendah and Port Klang. The bypass line will enhance KTMB rail services by providing a
significant freight relief line to the KTMB, which currently faces bottlenecks when traversing
Kuala Lumpur's central business district (CBD), as well as alleviating public safety concerns
associated with KTMB cargo containing hazardous materials being forced to pass through
KL Sentral, Bank Negara, and several other stations due to freight congestion. This latest
realignment will add 25 kilometres of rail track to the system, bringing it to a total length of
665 kilometres.
Description

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is a 660-kilometer railway link that links the east and
west coastlines of Malaysia. Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd is constructing the project, which
will be run in a 50:50 joint venture with China Communications Construction Company
(CCCC). The Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat of the Ministry of Transport will supervise
and control the project (APAD). The ECRL project began in August 2017 with a ground-
breaking ceremony in Kuantan, Malaysia, however progress was delayed in 2018 due to
financial restrictions. Construction began in July 2019 and is scheduled to conclude in
December 2026. The ECRL is the greatest economic and commercial project in China and
Malaysia.

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is an important piece of national infrastructure that is
expected to stimulate growth and reduce the economic divide between Peninsular Malaysia's
east and west coastlines. The ECRL will assist state capitals, significant urban areas and
industrial clusters, sea and inland ports, airports, and tourism zones by improving people's
access to transportation on the East Coast. The ECRL will increase freight transit capacity
between the East and West Coasts, as well as increase commerce and logistics efficiency on
the East Coast.

The ECRL supports a variety of national and state programmes and policies. It is the
culmination of the transportation policies specified in the National Physical Plans 1, 2, and 3,
as well as the Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Selangor State Structure Plans. The ECRL
is a crucial component of infrastructure in the East Coast Economic Region's (ECER) Master
Plan, which aims to accelerate the region's economic growth. The ECRL also signifies the
achievement of Peninsular Malaysia's National Land Public Transport Master Plan's strategic
objective of ensuring the country's physical connectivity and improving rural and intercity
connectivity.

Except for the KTMB railway line from Tumpat to Kuala Lumpur through Gemas, the ECRL
is essential due to the lack of a direct railway link between the East and West coasts. The
ECRL will increase East Coast citizens' transportation accessibility by enhancing connections
to state capitals, major urban areas, industrial clusters, seaports, internal container depots,
airports, and tourism zones. Additionally, it will run through a substantial chunk of the ECER
Special Economic Zone, which is the East Coast's primary manufacturing hub and is home to
several industrial parks.
The ECRL will divided into 3 section which is section A, B and C. Section A details the
principal route along the alignment from Kota Bharu, Kelantan to Dungun, Terengganu.
Section A consists of six stations: Kota Bharu and Pasir Puteh in Kelantan, as well as Jerteh,
Bandar Permaisuri, Kuala Terengganu, and Dungun in Terengganu. The primary route along
the alignment from Dungun, Terengganu to Mentakab, Pahang is covered in Section B.
Kemasik, Chukai, Cherating, Kuantan Port City, KotaSAS, Paya Besar, and Maran are the
seven stations in Section B. Section C consists of seven stations from Mentakab to Port
Klang. C1 (between Mentakab and ITT Gombak), from Gombak to Serendah to Port Klang
has three stations at Temerloh, Bentong, and ITT Gombak, while C2 (from Serendah to Port
Klang) has four stations at Serendah Baru, Puncak Alam (Future), Kapar (Future), and Port
Klang at Jalan Kastam.

The ECRL will increase freight transit capacity between the East and West Coasts, as well as
within the East Coast, facilitating increased trade and operational efficiency. Additionally, the
ECRL will increase freight transit capacity and trans-shipment between in-land areas and
Kuantan Port, enabling economic development in the hinterland. Between Kuantan Port,
Kemaman Port, and Kertih, the ECRL line will serve the market for container and commodity
transportation, including steel and polyethylene. Similarly, iron ore and other items from the
interior can be more efficiently transported to ports.

The ECRL will provide a high-demand passenger service between Kuala Lumpur and Kota
Bharu. Additionally, the ITT Gombak will enhance passenger services by connecting to bus
and LRT lines. In contrast to the current circuitous railway route via Gemas, the ECRL will
connect the East Coast to Kuala Lumpur directly. This direct connection will halve the travel
time between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu, from 15 hours through Gemas to only 4 hours.

In addition, CCCC is developing the East Coast rail link, with HSSI providing supervision,
detail design, and shop drawing design consultant services. Bursa Malaysia has been selected
as the engineering and project management consultant for the project, while FGV Holdings is
responsible for logistics. AECOM oversaw all aspects of the project, including the stations,
viaducts, tunnels, and depots. Among the construction equipment given by SANY were
cranes, rotary drilling rigs, concrete pump machines, and excavators.

Therefore, The East Coast Rail Link project will have a total of 20 stations, including 10
passenger stations and 10 passenger and freight stations. Freight movement along the East
Coast rail link will generate 70% of total revenue for the rail network. For the latest
alignment, the route between Kota Bharu and Port Klang will have around 40 tunnels,
including the 2.8-kilometer-long Kuantan Tunnel, the 1.1-kilometer-long Paka Tunnel, and
the 871-kilometer-long Dungun Tunnel. The longest tunnel in the world, measuring 7
kilometres in length, will be built in the Jelebu-Semenyih area. The project will also include
many 100-kilometer-long viaducts.
 Estimated Travel Time from ITT Gombak to Kota Bharu Terminal

Benefits

The collaboration between MRLSB and CCCC will expand local contractors' participation in
ECRL's civil works by up to 40%. It will also strengthen bilateral ties between the two
countries. During construction, the project is estimated to produce MYR17.6 billion ($4.2
billion) in jobs. Small and medium-sized enterprises will benefit, as will demand for housing,
supplies, and transportation throughout the East Coast Rail Link's districts. The Kuantan
Port-ECRL-Port Klang segment will reduce the time it takes to travel between the two ports,
benefitting regional trade. Freight transport will account for 70% of total income earned by
the rail network along the East Coast rail connection, with passenger transit accounting for
the remaining 30%.

The ECRL is planned to link Malaysia's east and west coast states. As a result, ECRL
benefits include increased traffic flow. For example, many will select for train travel to their
location, particularly in the east state. As a result, the number of autos on the road may
decrease. Therefore, we may also escape traffic congestion, which are despised by everyone,
particularly during rush hour (at the working time).

Apart from that, taking the train rather than driving allows us to save money on transportation
costs. This is an excellent technique to assist individuals in saving money. Additionally,
rather of riding the bus, the initiative will aid kids in getting home quickly and easily.
Additionally, the learners felt more at ease while travelling by train. This is because trains
provide superior amenities that are more effective and comprehensive in guaranteeing a safe
journey. The train is great for tired and industrious individuals who require respite on their
return journey.

The second benefit is having a safe journey. This is because, as we all know, the journey to
the western state is rather dangerous at night. The ECRL will take precautions to prevent such
an occurrence.

Finally, it possesses the potential to significantly reduce pollution. When the number of cars
on the road is reduced, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the fuel is also reduced.
Indeed, it will contribute to the planet's preservation for future generations. Therefore, we can
maintain a green nation. Additional concerns will not develop in the future.
 Train to be used for ECRL

Improvement For The Future

My recommendation for the future is that the government must link the ECRL to Johor Bahru
as it is to make it easier for east coast peoples to get to Johor Bahru. Where for now the
peoples of Kota Bharu need to take 10 to 12 hours to get to Johor Bahru, besides that it
facilitates the movement of goods from the Pasir Gudang port to Kuantan Port, Kerteh Port
and Klang Port

Following that, the government should build a railway coach dedicated only to women, as
executed by KTMB.

Finally, the government should expand the servers for online ticket purchases so that there is
no server congestion during peak times such as the holiday season and the festive season.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the ECRL project is very high impact on the country by 2050 as Malaysia will
achieve high income status by 2025 so with efficient public transport facilities it can further
expand the local economy.
I hope that with this ECRL project, Malaysia will become one of the well -known countries
in Asia with an efficient transportation system that is easy to access to the capital city
quickly, this is also a rising point in the East Coast states, especially Kelantan to continue to
grow and bridge the gap progress with the states on the West Coast, for now Kelantan is the
only state in West Malaysia that does not have a highway or railway that directly connect to
Kuala Lumpur so this is very good news for the people of Kelantan.
Reference

https://www.mrl.com.my/en/ecrl/overview/
(Official website from MRL)

https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/east-coast-rail-link-ecrl-project/

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/12/02/ecrl-project-cost-remains-at-
rm50.27b-says-transport-minister/2025496

Tunnel boring machine for ECRL project arrives from China (nst.com.my)

That’s all from me, I apologize because it’s very difficult to find the latest information due to the 3
times alignment changes.