DUNGUN – The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project can provide economic spinoffs for residents in surrounding areas, especially in Terengganu which will have six stations, with two of them for passenger and cargo purposes.
The project sparked a debate about its construction cost at the initial stage, but the Unity Government managed to cut the costs by RM11 billion through effective negotiations for the realignment of the ECRL with a total cost of RM50.27 billion.
Forty-two-year-old trader Nang Noraziah Kamarudin said the state’s ecotourism sector would also benefit from the spinoffs as more people would visit Terengganu because of the efficient transport facilities.
“Indirectly, more tourists will come to Terengganu via the ECRL and this, in turn, can further boost the economy of the locals because they will surely spend when they come here,” Nang Noraziah said.
Another trader, 38-year-old Rosli Abd Manan echoed Nan Noraziah’s sentiment and expressed confidence that once the project is completed, the local community will be able to reap a lot of benefits from it, including the time-saving mode of transportation.
“Residents here can also use the ECRL to move around. No need anymore to use cars or other public transport that are more time-consuming and involve long rides that can be tiring,” he said.
The six ECRL stations to be built in Terengganu are in Jertih, Bandar Permaisuri, Kuala Terengganu, and Kemasik, which function as passenger stations, while Dungun and Chukai will be for passengers and cargo.
As of April, the progress of the construction work on the ECRL project in Terengganu had reached 55.21%.
Malaysia Railway Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak had previously stated that construction work on the 275 km-long alignment in the state is on schedule and is expected to be fully completed in December 2026.
Overall, the construction of the ECRL involves a total of 665km, with 20 stations, starting from Tunjong in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, and ending at Port Klang, Selangor. – August 1, 2023