Kuala Lampur:Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) anticipates that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) fares will be announced this month, with ticket sales projected to commence in November. This timeline is set to align with the planned start of commercial operations in mid-December.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, MRL's chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak, indicated that the Transport Ministry is expected to disclose the fare details. He mentioned that the fares are anticipated to be dynamic and affordable, positioned lower than airfares and slightly above bus fares.

For the initial phase, ECRL trains are scheduled to operate 12 return trips daily from Monday to Thursday, increasing to 14 trips from Friday to Sunday. MRL is reportedly satisfied with the progress of Phase One of the project, which spans from Kota Bharu to Gombak and has reached 98.16 percent completion as of September. The company remains confident about achieving the mid-December 2026 target for the commencement of commercial operations.

Darwis also emphasized the successful performance of the ECRL Comprehensive Inspection Train (CIT), which recently completed a non-stop 519km journey from Gombak to Kota Bharu in three hours and 19 minutes, achieving speeds of up to 160kph. This run demonstrated the ECRL's capability to provide express service along the Gombak-KotaSAS-Kuala Terengganu-Kota Bharu route in under four hours.

Spanning 665km, the ECRL will pass through Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang before connecting with Selangor on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The railway is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Kota Bharu and Gombak to about four hours, compared to the current seven-hour journey by road.