Kuala terengganu: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in Terengganu, which is currently about 97 percent complete, is significantly transforming the state's logistics infrastructure and positioning Terengganu as a strategic hub on the East Coast. State Infrastructure, Utilities and Rural Development Committee chairman, Datuk Hanafiah Mat, emphasized the project's role as a catalyst for economic growth and development during the winding-up session at the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly held at Wisma Darul Iman.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the ECRL project is anticipated to yield substantial economic spill-over benefits for the people of Terengganu, primarily through Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) at six main stations across the state. The TOD initiative is expected to generate opportunities in commercial development, business ventures, investment, and job creation. Datuk Hanafiah Mat highlighted the state government's plans to review various aspects of the ECRL stations, such as access roads, traffic management, public parking, lighting, and last-mile connectivity, to ensure broad-based benefits.
In other developments, Hanafiah announced that repair and construction work on the Jalan Aring 8-Kenyir-Kuala Jeneris bridge at Tasik Kenyir, near Hulu Terengganu, commenced on January 5 and is projected to be completed by November next year. The contractor is currently engaged in site preparation, clearing, and upgrading the temporary detour road for machinery access. As of March 21, 2026, the project has achieved 5.52 percent completion, surpassing the scheduled progress of 4.34 percent, and is seven days ahead of schedule. The road connecting Tasik Kenyir and Felda Aring in Gua Musang, Kelantan, has been closed since November 2024 due to landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains.
Furthermore, State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Food Security and Commodities Committee chairman, Datuk Dr Azman Ibrahim, disclosed that the Terengganu state government is actively seeking potential investors to establish a one-stop agro-food hub. This hub aims to facilitate collection, processing, and distribution oriented towards exports in preparation for the ECRL's launch in January 2027. The hub's primary components will include a livestock transit and quarantine center, a farm-produce collection and packing center, cold-storage warehouses, and storage facilities for agricultural inputs. Suitable land at Teluk Kalong, Kemaman, has been identified for this purpose and is being offered to interested investors.
The Terengganu State Legislative Assembly is scheduled to continue its session tomorrow.