KOTA BHARU, 29 Jan — Fares for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will be set based on a comprehensive study conducted by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and are subject to approval by the relevant authorities, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said the fares would be announced several months before operations begin.
“Currently, the ministry is focusing on construction and installation works to ensure the project is completed on schedule. The testing and commissioning phases are essential and must be conducted prior to fare setting,” Loke said after visiting the Feeder Station 01 and the Kota Bharu ECRL Station project site today.
He added that the construction of the 665-kilometre ECRL network had achieved an overall progress of 90.81 per cent as of December 2025, surpassing the project target of 90 per cent.
The achievement was supported by the completion of excavation work for all 14 tunnels, the laying of more than 500 km of track, and the installation of over 12,000 Overhead Catenary System (OCS) poles for electricity supply.
On the construction of the Kota Bharu ECRL Station, Loke said that the project had reached an overall progress of 82.06 per cent as of December 2025 and was expected to be fully completed by the second quarter of 2026.
The Kota Bharu Station, built on a 20.94-hectare site, drew inspiration from the Rumah Meleh Melayu and Bunga Ketam Guri concepts, reflecting Kelantan’s heritage, and was equipped with 500 parking spaces, passenger drop-off and pick-up points, covered walkways, and staff quarters.
He noted that the 132-kilovolt electricity supply from the Main Input Substation to Feeder Station 01 had been successfully activated ahead of schedule.
As such, the ministry is satisfied with the progress of the 43-kilometre ECRL line in Kelantan, which had reached 96.67 per cent completion as of December 2025, covering the Kota Bharu Station in Tunjong for passenger services and the Pasir Puteh Station in Cherang Tuli for passenger and cargo services.
The ECRL will receive 11 train sets, each comprising six carriages, within the next two weeks, with the facility to be introduced in Kuantan, Pahang.
Loke said the project was expected to enter a comprehensive testing and commissioning phase from June 2026 to ensure smooth and safe operations.
“The ministry is optimistic that the ECRL line from Kota Bharu to the Gombak Integrated Terminal will be completed by December as scheduled, with commercial operations expected to begin in January 2027,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister said that no discussions had been held so far on the proposed extension of the ECRL project to Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas.
Previously, the media reported that the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V had expressed hope that the ECRL project could be extended to Rantau Panjang.
His Royal Highness said the move is aimed at driving economic growth at the border and strengthening bilateral relations between Malaysia and Thailand.
