KUALA LUMPUR, OCTOBER 2025 — Malaysia remains committed to strengthening its national transportation network, with particular emphasis on rail infrastructure, as highlighted by Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke Siew Fook in his recent budget address. These initiatives are designed to enhance connectivity and catalyse economic growth across multiple regions.

The Minister outlined progress and upcoming plans for several major rail projects. On Penang, the first domestic Light Rail Transit (LRT) line outside the Klang Valley the Mutiara Line (previously referred to as the Penang LRT) is underway. It will run approximately 29.5 km, serve 21 stations and link Reclamation Island A (Silicon Island) via George Town (Komtar) to Penang Sentral in Butterworth. The federal government has set a budget ceiling of about RM 16.8 billion for the project, though the final cost remains subject to tender results.

Meanwhile, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), spanning roughly 665 km across Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor, is progressing well. The line will feature 20 stations (10 for passengers only, 10 for combined passenger and freight), and is scheduled for phased completion: the Kota Bharu–Gombak leg by December 2026 with operations from January 2027, and the Gombak–Port Klang leg by December 2027/January 2028. The project is expected to shift significant cargo traffic from road to rail, with quoted estimates of up to 24.6 million tonnes of freight annually.

In addition, a rail-upgrade project on the Pasir Mas–Rantau Panjang line has been approved at RM 264 million, with procurement expected in early 2026 and a three-year execution period planned. This upgrade aims to re-activate cross-border connectivity with Thailand, strengthening trade and tourism links via the Sungai Golok corridor.

The Minister emphasised that major projects such as the Penang LRT had undergone thorough value-management exercises to maximise public benefit and contain costs. At the same time, the government is ramping up safety and regulatory controls on heavy commercial vehicles including mandatory speed limiters for buses and lorries, stricter enforcement of overloaded vehicles and tougher penalties for driving under the influence to complement the modal shift from road to rail.

Collectively, these rail-expansion and safety-enhancement measures align with Malaysia’s broader “Malaysia Madani” vision aiming to promote inclusive connectivity, elevate safety standards and create economic opportunity for all citizens. The ongoing infrastructure investments reflect a strategic push to modernise the nation’s transport backbone.

Source: caricarz.com