The construction site of China-built East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) in Malaysia Photo: Courtesy of China Communications Construction ECRL

 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have jointly pushed the lever to officially kick off the construction of the Gombak Integrated Terminal Station of East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), the Xinhua News Agency reported, marking a new milestone in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) flagship project.

 

Li said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the ECRL is a flagship project of China-Malaysia high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. He expressed his belief that with the joint efforts of both sides, the construction of the project will be high-quality, efficient, safeand reliable, making the railway a model of excellence, and a fine example of Belt and Road cooperation.

 

China will make active efforts with Malaysia to explore ways to connect the ECRL with the China-Laos and China-Thailand railways to better advance the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, thereby enhancing regional connectivity and deepening the development of the ASEAN Community, Li said.

 

A spokesperson of China Communications Construction ECRL told the Global Times on Thursday that there are 20 rail stations along the ECRL, and the most important stations are those in the four states. And the commencement of construction in Gombak signifies that all stations in Malaysia’ four states have begun construction and entered a new phase.

 

“Gombak station sits nearKuala Lumpur, and its geographic position means that it will largely alleviate the transportation pressure of Malaysian capital after the station enters operation,” the spokesperson said.

 

The Malaysia ECRL stretches 665 kilometers, starting from Kota Bharu in the north, and heading south to Kuantan before turning westward to Port Klang. It is the largest standalone transportation infrastructure project undertaken by Chinese enterprises overseas.

 

ECRL starts from Kota Bharu in Kelantan and ends at Port Klang in Selangor by passing through Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. It is also a railway that links Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean, and an important part of the Trans-Asian Railway network that could further links up with China-Thailand Railway and China-Laos Railway, the spokesperson noted.

 

“There are also economic significances. The railway has created about 20,000 job opportunities for Malaysia and neighboring regions, and over 2,000 local firms have participated in the project construction. After the project is completed, it will promote the balanced development of Malaysia’ eastern and western regions, while also facilitated the industrial, logistics and tourism development,” the spokesperson said.

 

Global Times