Splash247: Construction starts on East Coast Rail Link connections to Northport and Westports

Published by Splash247

Construction has started on a 25 km rail connection that will link Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) directly with Northport and Westports at Port Klang.

The new Section D will run from the ECRL station at Jalan Kastam to the two container ports, completing a central part of the railway’s planned east-west freight corridor.

The alignment will combine a new standard-gauge ECRL track with existing metre-gauge infrastructure operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu, allowing cargo services to use both rail networks.

Project contractor China Communications Construction began work following the Malaysian government’s approval of a revised project scope and the signing of a supplemental engineering and construction agreement.

Once completed, the section will provide a direct rail connection between Northport, Westports and the ECRL freight facilities serving Kuantan Port on Malaysia’s east coast.

The link is intended to move more container and other cargo by rail between the two coasts, reducing reliance on road haulage through the Klang Valley and strengthening Port Klang’s inland connections.

The wider 665 km ECRL is due to open in phases. The Kota Bharu–Gombak section is scheduled to begin commercial operations in January 2027, while the extension from Gombak to Port Klang, including the new port links, is targeted for completion by December 2027 and operation in January 2028.