ECRL trial runs begin ahead of December 12 launch

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) has commenced trial operations in the final phase of its preparation for commercial passenger services, which is slated to begin on December 12. Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) said the trial operations, which began on November 7 and runs until December 2, will cover journeys on both express and transit services from Gombak to Kota Bharu and vice versa.

In a statement, MRL said the trial runs will assess operational readiness, service efficiency, station management and the passenger experience in a real operating environment. It added that the ECRL electrified multiple unit trains will operate according to the planned commercial passenger timetable during the trial programme, and will include the issuance of boarding passes and the provision of cabin crew services.

The train on the first trial run departed at 7am from the Terminal Bersepadu Gombak Station on Saturday and arrived at the KotaSAS station in Kuantan, Pahang, at 8.28 am, completing the trip in just 88 minutes.

It subsequently departed KotaSAS at 9.33 am, arriving at Kuala Terengganu station at 9.53 am, before departing five minutes later, reaching its final destination, Kota Bharu station, at 10.58 am. The train, which carried 170 passengers, reached speeds of up to 160 km/h during the trip.

The latest milestone follows the completion of key testing and commissioning stages, including the system integration test and the successful completion of the fault-free run (FFR) on October 29.

MRL said it would continue prioritising system testing, certification and operational readiness ahead of the planned launch. It added that as of October 2026, construction of Phase 1 of the ECRL, covering the Kota Bharu-Gombak alignment, had reached 98.47% completion.

One-way economy-class tickets for the Gombak-Kota Baru route start at RM125 for Transit services and RM147 for Express services, the latter with limited stops. Fares for the Gombak-Kuala Terengganu route start at RM95 (Transit) and RM110 (Express), while the Gombak-KotaSAS fares start at RM60 and RM68 respectively.

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