General : Announcement On ECRL Fares Expected This Month, Ticket Sales In November

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) anticipates that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) fares will be disclosed this month, with ticket sales commencing in November in preparation for commercial operations slated for mid-December. The Transport Ministry is anticipated to disclose the fares, according to MRL CEO Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak.

Speaking at an ECRL operational readiness briefing for media editors today, Darwis expressed optimism about the affordability and competitiveness of the fares, stating they would be lower than airfares and slightly higher than bus fares.

For the inaugural phase, the ECRL trains are projected to operate 12 return trips daily from Monday to Thursday and 14 from Friday to Sunday. Darwis expressed satisfaction with the progress of Phase One of the project, which spans from Kota Bharu to Gombak, reaching 98.16% completion as of September. He expressed confidence in meeting the mid-December 2026 target for commercial operations.

The Comprehensive Inspection Train (CIT) of ECRL recently executed a non-stop journey from Gombak to Kota Bharu over a distance of 519km in 3 hours and 19 minutes, attaining speeds of up to 160kph. This feat underscores ECRL’s capability to provide express service on the Gombak-Kota Bharu route in under four hours.

Spanning Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang, the 665km ECRL will link Selangor on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Upon completion, the ECRL is projected to trim travel time between Kota Bharu and Gombak down to approximately four hours, compared to around seven hours via road.