adminKUALA LUMPUR: Track installation work for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) Project for the entire 519-kilometre (km) stretch from Kota Bharu, Kelantan to Gombak, Selangor has been successfully completed ahead of schedule.
China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd (CCCECRL) announced that this achievement marks the completion of the track construction phase, including the installation of related systems, thus marking the ECRL project has now officially entered the testing and commissioning phase.
“The final phase, namely Phase 4 which covers the 126 km alignment from Maran to Gombak, began in April 2025 and was successfully completed on Feb 5, 2026, about two weeks ahead of schedule,” said a statement from the company which is the main Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) contractor for the ECRL project today.
Meanwhile, CCCECRL Managing Director Deng Bo said with the completion of track installation and ongoing electrification work along the Kota Bharu-Gombak line in Selangor, the arrival of the electric multiple unit (EMU) train marks the beginning of the 8,000 km uninterrupted travel test phase.
“This achievement brings the ECRL project one step closer towards full operation scheduled for January 2027, thus reflecting our commitment to precision, safety and delivery of world-class infrastructure projects,” he said.
The installation work of the ECRL project track officially began in December 2023 with the approval of the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Kuantan Port City (KPC).
According to the statement, the alignment then continues north from KPC through Maran, then to Dungun before arriving in Kota Bharu.
The routes, which cover distances of 92 km, 95 km and 206 km respectively, reflect the continuous progress of the project, thus paving the way for the implementation of Phase 4 and the successful completion of the entire Kota Bharu–Gombak alignment.
As of February 2026, the ECRL project has achieved an overall progress of approximately 92.62 percent, reflecting consistent progress across all phases as well as readiness to enter the testing and commissioning stage.
— BERNAMA
