ECRL pitches 90-container freight trains to take cargo off Malaysian highways

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) could remove up to 90 container trucks from the road with every freight train, supporting Malaysia’s shift towards rail-based freight transportation.

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said each freight train could carry about 45 wagons, equivalent to 90 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), providing businesses with an alternative for transporting goods between the East and West Coasts of Peninsular Malaysia.

He said ECRL would connect Kuantan Port and, eventually, Kemaman Port on the east coast with Westports and Northport in Port Klang, strengthening freight connectivity between the country’s major ports.

“For longer distances exceeding 200 kilometres, it is wise and economical to use our rail freight services. We strongly encourage companies in the East Coast to shift their goods to ECRL,” said Darwis in an interview at the Bernama Mobile Studio in conjunction with Transport Expo Asia 2026 (TXA 2026) recently.

He said attracting businesses to shift from road to rail would depend on competitive pricing, reliable schedules and effective last-mile connectivity, as lorries would still be needed to transport goods to their final destinations.

Darwis said rail freight could offer businesses lower operating costs and greater certainty in delivery schedules, supporting the government’s road-to-rail initiative.

ECRL nears completion, trial operations in November

Darwis said the 665-kilometre ECRL project had achieved 98.16 per cent completion as of October, with trial operations scheduled for November ahead of commercial services beginning on December 12, 2026.

The railway will connect Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan, providing an alternative mode of transport and strengthening connectivity between the East Coast and the Klang Valley.

“With the progress that we have achieved today, it’s about 98.16 per cent as of October. Hopefully, coming November, there will be an important milestone for us where we are going to run trial operations for the next one month, and subsequently operations will begin in December,” he said.

He said the express train would shorten the journey between Gombak and Kota Bharu to about four hours, while transit services would take less than five hours.

The service is expected to benefit East Coast residents travelling home during festive seasons, when road congestion can significantly extend journey times.

Darwis said ECRL would form part of Malaysia’s integrated transport and logistics ecosystem, with MRL’s focus shifting from infrastructure construction towards delivering long-term economic and social benefits.

Five-year target for technology transfer

ECRL Operations Sdn Bhd (EOSB), a 50:50 joint venture between MRL and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), would manage the railway’s operations and maintenance.

The partnership would leverage China’s railway operating and maintenance experience while facilitating technology transfer to Malaysia’s workforce within five years.

“We work together as 50-50 partners to run the operation and maintenance of ECRL. We acknowledge their vast experience managing operations and maintenance, given their network of more than 150,000 kilometres of railway in China,” he said.

Darwis said the collaboration is aimed at delivering safe, reliable and high-standard services while building local expertise in railway operations and maintenance.

For passengers, ECRL would offer Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class services.

Economy Class will have a 3-2 seating configuration, while Business Class will offer a more spacious 2-2 arrangement along with additional services similar to those provided in airline business class.

A train configured with Business Class and Economy Class would have about 409 seats, while an all-Economy Class train would accommodate approximately 425 passengers. The trains would also feature a bistro where passengers could purchase refreshments during their journeys.

Darwis stated that MRL would establish a baseline for the number of cars on the road before monitoring how many travellers shift to rail with the commencement of ECRL operations.

He said the service could change Malaysians’ travel habits by offering more predictable journey times and a viable alternative to private vehicles for intercity travel. — Bernama