ECRL completes 38 tunnel excavations ahead of schedule

• This comes after the ECRL made two tunnel breakthroughs in Selangor early this week — the Serendah 1 Tunnel (3.5km) and the Rawang-Bestari Jaya Tunnel (189m).

KUALA LUMPUR (April 8): The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project has completed excavation works for 38 tunnels along its rail alignment two months ahead of schedule, putting it on track to achieving 41 tunnel breakthroughs by the third quarter of this year.

This comes after the ECRL made two tunnel breakthroughs in Selangor early this week — the Serendah 1 Tunnel (3.5km) and the Rawang-Bestari Jaya Tunnel (189m).

The project now has only three tunnels remaining under excavation: the twin-bore Genting Tunnel (16.39km) and the Serendah 2 Tunnel (9.85km). The twin-bore Genting Tunnel is expected to achieve breakthrough in mid-2025, while the Serendah 2 Tunnel is targeted for breakthrough in the third quarter.

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak attributed the smooth excavation works at the Serendah 1 Tunnel and Rawang-Bestari Jaya Tunnel to the outstanding effort and commitment of the ECRL project team, as well as the adoption of advanced tunneling techniques and safe construction practices.

China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd managing director Deng Bo said construction of the ECRL now enters a new phase involving system installations, and the company remains focused on ensuring the timely delivery of the project.

Construction for Phase 1 of the ECRL project, spanning from Kota Bharu in Kelantan to the Gombak Integrated Terminal in Selangor, is scheduled for completion by December 2026, with operations set to commence in January 2027. 

Phase 2, linking Gombak with Port Klang, is expected to be completed by December 2027, and be fully operational by January 2028. 

MRL is the project owner of the ECRL, while China Communications Construction Company Ltd is the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning contractor. 

Once completed, the 665km project will enable travel from Kota Bharu to Gombak Integrated Terminal in four hours at a speed of up to 160kph, compared to approximately seven hours by road transport.

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