On June 29, 2025, the CEO of Malaysia Rail Link announced that the plan to extend the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) to the Thai border in Rangdoubanjang is still under evaluation. The total length of the extension is 32 kilometers, and the investment amount announced in November 2024 is RM2 billion (approximately USD 470 million). We plan to utilize the existing railway rights under the Malaysian Railways Corporation from Basimah in Kelantan to Sungai Gol in Thailand to construct a parallel railway along this route, which may be included in the Pan Asian Railway network.

Malaysia Malaysia Railway Cooperation Restarting

The proposal for the extension project of the East Coast Railway is based on the consensus reached by the Malaysian and Thai governments in May 2025, which will reactivate the existing cross-border railway between Basimah in Kelantan and Sungai Gol in Thailand operated by Malaysia Railways. The line has been idle since it was damaged by floods in 2006. After reopening, it will restore the connection between the railway networks of the two countries and provide passengers with direct services to the Thai capital Bangkok.

Technical solutions and engineering details

The CEO of Malaysia Rail Link stated that the extension of the East Coast Railway will fully utilize the existing rights of way of Malaysia Rail and adopt a parallel line construction plan. This technological path has been successfully validated on the tariff section from Shuangwendan to Port Klang in Selangor, providing a technical foundation for the implementation of the extension project.

The extension project includes two main sections: a 14 kilometer route from Kota Bharu Station in Kelantan State to Basima, and an 18 kilometer route from Basima to Lantubanjang. The choice of Langdouban as the final destination is closer to the Thai border, rather than the originally planned Langpu Castle, due to considerations of cross-border connectivity efficiency. The extension of the East Coast is expected to become part of the Pan Asian Railway network, connecting Kunming City in Yunnan Province, China, Vientiane City in Laos, and Singapore in the future.

Progress of the Pan Asian Railway Network

Laos has opened the China Laos railway connecting the capital Vientiane and Kunming as early as 2021; At present, Thailand is advancing the construction of a high-speed railway connecting Bangkok to Langkawi Province near the Laos border, which is expected to be completed by 2030; On the west coast of Malaysia, there is already an existing railway operated by the Malaysian Railways Corporation that leads to Padang Besar in the state of Perak, and can be transferred to Thai trains to travel north to Bangkok, forming a cross-border transportation channel. In contrast, the potential cross-border extension of the East Coast Railway will establish another connection line between the Ma Tai Railway in the east, adding new possibilities to the regional railway network layout.

As the flagship project of China Malaysia high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road, the East Coast Railway contracted by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. is about 665 kilometers long, spanning four Malaysian states. After completion, it will significantly shorten the logistics time between underdeveloped states on the east coast of the Malaysian Peninsula and major ports on the west coast, injecting new impetus into regional economic development. East Coast states such as Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang will be rapidly connected to important logistics hubs such as Port Klang through an efficient railway network.

Project Progress and Challenges

According to the plan, the construction of the East Coast Railway from Kota Bharu to Ermao Station is expected to be completed in December 2026 and put into operation in January 2027; The Goose Mark to Klang Port section project is expected to be completed in December 2027 and put into operation in January 2028. However, the project has recently faced theft issues with signal cables and equipment, with over 1200 meters of stolen signal cables and a total of 81 outdoor transformer devices, which may affect the progress of subsequent testing and debugging.

Despite facing challenges, the delivery of core equipment for the East Coast Railway project is still progressing as planned. The first two sets of electric multiple units and two freight electric locomotives will be shipped from CRRC Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. to Malaysia in October 2025. After arrival, on-site testing will be carried out. The first electric multiple unit needs to complete 8000 kilometers of testing, and subsequent trains need to complete 5000 kilometers of testing. (This article is from the official website www.seetao.com of Jian Dao. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website infrastructure engineering column editor/Yang Beihua