The Transport Ministry is confident that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will be completed on schedule in December 2026 and will be operational from January 2027, with a four-hour travel time between Kota Bahru and Kuala Lumpur compared with a seven-hour car journey.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke also reported a 64 percent construction progress of the line as of March with the line traversing four states: Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor.