ALIGNMENT for the proposed 640km East Coast Rail Link’s (ECRL) Section C, which links Mentakab in Pahang to Port Klang in Selangor, will be displayed publicly for three months.
Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) in a statement said it would enable the public to provide feedback and suggestions to the proposed new alignment which comprises a mainline with a length of 143.1km, spurline measuring 41.5km, five passenger/freight stations and one future station.
The alignment, which will go through Negri Sembilan and Putrajaya, will be displayed during its public inspection exercise for three months beginning Jan 14, 2020.
ECRL’s Section C has designated passenger and freight stations at Temerloh in Pahang and Jenjarom in Selangor, as well as passengeronly stations at Klawang and Nilai in Negri Sembilan, and Putrajaya Sentral in Putrajaya.
Recently, the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) had provided MRL the condit ional approval for the ECRL Railway Scheme for Section C.
“The public inspection information booths for Section C will operate on work days at the APAD headquarters in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and the Ministry of Transport in Putrajaya from Jan 14 to April 14, 2020.
“An additional of five public inspection booths will be operational at the respective District and Land offices at Temerloh, Pahang; Jelebu and Seremban, Negri Sembilan; and Sepang and Kuala Langat, Selangor, from Jan 20 to April 14, 2020,” MRL said.
The wholly owned subsidiary of the Minister of Finance Inc is the project and asset owner of the ECRL, while China Communications Construction Co Ltd is the main contractor.
The ECRL project and asset owner would also operate public inspection information booths elsewhere on dates to be announced from time to time over a period of three months.
MRL CEO Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said in the same statement that the new alignment for Section C was conceived to avoid the costly construction of the 17.8km-long Genting Tunnel under the initial ECRL route, as well as to stay clear of the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge in Selangor which is being established as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
“The Section C alignment is crucial in the formation of a land bridge between Kuantan Port and Port Klang where the 640km ECRL network will end.
“This will pave the way for increased freight transactions due to shorter travel time between the two ports,” he said, adding that the Mentakab-Port Klang stretch via a more southerly route took into greater consideration of rail connectivity, environmental safeguards and social-economic impact.
Besides enabling more states to participate in the 640km ECRL rail network, Darwis said the Section C alignment will facilitate the ECRL to leverage on the existing Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd service and the upcoming Mass Rapid Transit Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line (SSP Line) which had earmarked an interchange at Putrajaya Sentral for connectivity to the KL International Airport and KL’s central business district.
He said the Section C alignment will help smoothen rail connectivity on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia as ECRL passengers could connect to KTM Komuter and Electric Train Service via ECRL’s Nilai station.
“In line with the public inspection for Section C, MRL has initiated the environmental impact assessment, social impact assessment and heritage impact assessment reports for consideration by the relevant authorities in a bid to obtain the final approval of the Mentakab-Port Klang Railway Scheme from APAD,” Darwis added.
“Barring the final approval of the Railway Scheme for Section C, civil works for the Mentakab-Port Klang stretch, including earthworks and foundation works, are targeted to commence from July 2020 onwards.
“MRL is pleased that the overall progress of the ECRL project has increased to 14.49% currently, boosted primarily by ongoing construction works at 27 priority locations within its Dungun to Mentakab alignment (also known as Section B),” he added.
Scheduled for completion by December 2026, the 640km ECRL will traverse the East Coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, as well as Negri Sembilan, Putrajaya and Selangor on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Sumber: The Malaysian Reserve