‘Misleading’: Project owner says ECRL can’t be upgraded to 351kph

The rail alignment and infrastructure of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) cannot be upgraded to support high-speed trains, as an expert from China had suggested.

“On that note, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) must emphasise that the ECRL remains a fast train for passengers only and cannot be upgraded or converted into a high-speed train under current engineering specifications and operating systems.

“Therefore, recent news reports citing a Chinese expert suggesting that ECRL can increase its speed to 351kph during the Belt and Road Initiative in Asean forum is inaccurate and misleading,” the MRL clarified in a statement today.

It was responding to a Bernama report yesterday that quoted Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation vice-president Victor Gao suggesting that it is not only possible for the ECRL to be completed ahead of schedule, but also increase its speed to 351kph to outdo Indonesia’s high-speed rail project.

MRL, which owns the ECRL project, said its project is designed primarily for transporting cargo, so its passenger service is largely constrained by the design requirements of freight trains.

The project’s rail infrastructure, such as foundation works, rail track, rail signalling system, and rolling stock are designed for speeds less than 200kph.

“MRL wishes to state that the ECRL Project’s rail alignment has also been designed with horizontal curves and cants (superelevation) as well as a gradient that is not on par with high-speed rail track, considering a sizeable section of the alignment in the East Coast states is built on sites with poor soil condition, cutting through hilly terrain and traverse wide river crossings,” it said.

In practice, ECRL’s passenger trains will run as a “fast train” with speeds up to 160kph, while freight trains will run with a maximum speed of 80kph.

This contrasts with industry standards stipulating that a high-speed train should have a running speed of at least 250kph.

The 665km long rail link will run along the East Coast from Kota Baru to Kuantan Port City and then cut across Pahang and Selangor to Port Klang.

The Kota Bharu-Gombak stretch of the project is expected to be completed on Dec 31, 2026. When operational in January 2027, MRL says it will cut travel time from the Gombak Integrated Transport Terminal to Kota Bharu from seven to four hours during festive seasons.

The Gombak-Port Klang stretch is expected to be completed on Dec 31, 2027.

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