Guests pose for photos with an electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train in Pahang state, Malaysia, Feb. 11, 2026. As the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), moves rapidly towards completion, its first train sets for freight cargo and passengers were unveiled in Pahang state on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- As the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), moves rapidly towards completion, its first train sets for freight cargo and passengers were unveiled in Pahang state on Wednesday.
The electric multiple unit for passenger services and the electric locomotive for freight, which arrived from Dalian Port in China in January, were unveiled by Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Loke noted that the railway project is a cornerstone of close cooperation between Malaysia and China and will play a vital role in transforming the economy of the country's East Coast.
"As of January 2026, the ECRL Project has achieved 91.70 percent construction progress... The focus has now shifted to comprehensive preparations for the operational phase, considering that the ECRL is the largest rail project in Malaysia and a symbol of the Malaysia-China strategic cooperation," he said.
Loke said the federal government intends to integrate the East and West coasts in a more orderly manner through the ECRL. It will increase people's mobility, reduce travel times, and narrow the development gap between the regions.
China is willing to join hands with Malaysia to build the ECRL into a model project that carries forward the traditional friendship between the two countries, and share the fruits of development, said Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing.
The ECRL extends from Malaysia's largest transport hub, Port Klang, and runs across the peninsula to the northeastern Kelantan state. The railway is expected to greatly enhance connectivity and bring more balanced growth to the country by linking its less-developed region on the east coast to the economic heartland on the west coast. ■
Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke poses for photos with staff members aboard an electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train in Pahang state, Malaysia, Feb. 11, 2026.
As the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), moves rapidly towards completion, its first train sets for freight cargo and passengers were unveiled in Pahang state on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
Guests attend the unveiling ceremony of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL)'s first train sets for freight cargo and passengers, as well as the presentation of appointment letters to the project's mobile network infrastructure provider in Pahang state, Malaysia, Feb. 11, 2026.
As the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), moves rapidly towards completion, its first train sets for freight cargo and passengers were unveiled in Pahang state on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
Guests take an electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train in Pahang state, Malaysia, Feb. 11, 2026.
As the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), moves rapidly towards completion, its first train sets for freight cargo and passengers were unveiled in Pahang state on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
Guests take an electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train in Pahang state, Malaysia, Feb. 11, 2026.
As the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), moves rapidly towards completion, its first train sets for freight cargo and passengers were unveiled in Pahang state on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
