KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) is targeted to carry 7.7 million riders and 56-58 million tonnes of freight per annum by 2035, according to East Coast Economic Region (ECER) Development Council corporate strategy planning general manager Datuk Ragu Sampasivam.
“We are anticipating the majority of goods in the region to be transported through the ECRL, because the bulk of it is resource-based and therefore, rail connection will be key.
“We also noticed that KTM’s Electric Train Service has spurred the growth of Ipoh and Tanjung Malim, and we expect the ECRL to have similar effects on major towns like Bentong, Mentakab, Temerloh, Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu,” he said at the Land Public Transport Symposium 2016 here yesterday.
He said the ECER has seen RM94 billion of private investments and RM6 billion of public investments since its establishment in 2007, putting the public-private investment ratio near 1:16.
The ECER is divided into seven development nodes, centred around areas that have larger populations and higher industrial activity.
These are the Special Economic Zone spanning Kuantan and Kertih, Tumpat-Rantau Panjang cross-border development, Kenyir-Dungun Triangle, Mersing-Tioman area, Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis, Bentong-Raub, as well as the former Lembaga Kemajuan Pahang Tenggara and Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Jengka areas .
Ragu said the council will enhance mobility via key projects like the East Coast Expressway, Kuantan Port expansion, the ECRL and also the upgrading of airports.
“The Kuantan airport has just completed refurbishment, and next will be the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Bharu, which will be upgraded to a regional airport starting the first quarter of next year.
“Meanwhile, Kuantan Port is a primary conduit for trade into the East Coast, and has become an infrastructure and logistics hub. It is one of the main reasons for increased private investments into the region, via projects such as the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park,” Ragu added.
On the downside, the Central Spine Road leaves much to be desired in terms of supporting the rail network, he said pointing to Kelantan lacking a highway.
“It will be next in line, as the Public Works Department is expanding the Central Spine Road to connect Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu, he said.
Source: The Malay Mail Online | 18 October 2016
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