MRL East Coast Rail Link

Port Klang-Kota Bharu
East Coast Rail Line
CR200J, the planned EMU for passenger service
Overview
Native nameLaluan Rel Pantai Timur Pelabuhan Klang-Kota Bharu
Status Under construction
(82.45% as of April 2025)
OwnerMalaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd
LocaleSection A : Kota BharuPasir PutehJerteh - Bandar PermaisuriKuala Terengganu
Section B : DungunKemasikChukaiCheratingKuantan Port CityKotaSASGambangMaran
Section C : TemerlohBentongGombakSerendahPuncak AlamKaparNorthport/Westport
Stations20
Websitemrl.com.my (owner's website), ecrl.com.my (official website)
Service
TypeInter-city rail, rail freight transport
Operator(s)Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd & CCCC Joint Venture
Depot(s)Kuantan Port City
Rolling stockCRRC CR200J 6-car set EMU
Ridership5.40 million by 2030 (estimated)
History
Planned opening1 January 2027 (1 January 2027)
Technical
Line length665 km (413 mi) mixed single and double track with the entire provisional double track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification11 kV 50 Hz overhead line
Conduction systemWith driver
Operating speed160 km/h (passenger train)
80 km/h (freight train)
East Coast Rail Link
Proposed network
ECRL 1.0 (2017)
Pengkalan Kubor
Wakaf Bharu
MRL Kota Bharu
Jelawat
Tok Bali
Kelantan
Terengganu
state border
Kampung Raja
Penarik
Kuala Terengganu
Kuala Telemong
(proposed)
Pengkalan Berangan
Dungun
Bukit Besi spur line
Kerteh
(proposed)
Kemasik
Kemaman spur
Chukai
Terengganu
Pahang
state border
Cherating
Kuantan Port City
Kuantan Port City spur
Kota SAS
Kuantan Sentral
(proposed)
Gambang
Maran
Bentong
Bentong Tunnel (
18 km
11 mi
)
Pahang
Selangor
state border
Gombak Utara
Gombak
5
Serendah
future stations
Kapar
Jalan Kastam
Northport and Westport
ECRL 2.0 (2018)
MRL Kota Bharu
Pasir Puteh
Kelantan
Terengganu
state border
Jerteh
Bandar Permaisuri
Kuala Terengganu
Pengkalan Berangan
(future)
Dungun
Kemasik
Chukai
Terengganu
Pahang
state border
Cherating
Kuantan Port City
Kuantan Port City 2
Kota SAS
Gambang
Maran
Temerloh
to Mentakab
via branch line
Kemasul
(future)
Pahang
Negeri Sembilan
state border
Klawang
Nilai Sentral
(
Nilai Arab
Industrial Park
)
 ETS  1
Putrajaya Sentral
Jenjarom
Westport
ECRL 3.0 (2021)
MRL Kota Bharu
Pasir Puteh
Kelantan
Terengganu
state border
Jerteh
Bandar Permaisuri
Kuala Terengganu
Pengkalan Berangan
(future)
Dungun
Kemasik
Chukai
Terengganu
Pahang
state border
Cherating
Kuantan Port City
Kota SAS
Gambang
Maran
Temerloh
to Mentakab
via branch line
Bentong
Genting Tunnel (
18 km
11 mi
)
Pahang
Selangor
state border
Gombak
5
Serendah
 ETS  2
future stations
Kapar
Jalan Kastam
Northport
Westport

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) (Malay: Laluan Rel Pantai Timur) is an under-construction standard-gauge double-track rail project connecting Port Klang on the Straits of Malacca to Kota Bharu in northeast Peninsular Malaysia, linking the East Coast Economic Region states of Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan to one another and to the central region of the peninsula's west coast.

The project is set to carry both passengers and freight from the west coast of Malaysia to the east, and vice versa. Construction began in August 2017.

On 3 July 2018, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) instructed China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to suspend all work under the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning contract of ECRL. The suspension was lifted a few months later after the signing of a supplementary agreement between MRL and CCCC in April 2019 on a revised construction cost and realignment of the southern route of the rail link.

ECRL is realized by a semi-automatic Chinese technology that lays 1.5 km of tracks a day with an accuracy of 10 millimeters using GPS satellites.