Kuala Lumpur: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia, being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), marked another key milestone on Saturday with the breakthrough of the 16.39-kilometre Genting Tunnel. The breakthrough represents a significant achievement in itself, situated beneath more than 750 metres of mountainous terrain, the company said in a statement, following a ceremony to mark the occasion.
According to Nam News Network, Malaysian Transport Minister, Anthony Loke Siew Fook, who officiated the ceremony, told a press briefing that the breakthrough also highlights the successful cooperation between the two countries in the field of railway engineering. Explaining the challenges of working under these conditions, and the use of high-technology methods to overcome them, Chen Jianfeng, deputy general manager of CCCC Second Highway Engineering Co., Ltd., told Xinhua that China's TBM technology is among the world's most advanced and well-suited to handle these challenges.
The Genting Tunnel has highly complex geological conditions, including water ingress, rock bursts, soft surrounding rock, and six fault zones along the alignment. Due to these challenges, the TBM method was chosen, which offers greater safety, stability, and efficiency for tunnelling under such difficult conditions. Jianfeng also emphasised that the Chinese side has worked well with the Malaysian side to share knowledge and integrate processes, not only by bringing in advanced machinery and expertise, but also by incorporating localisation.
Throughout the construction process in Malaysia, a strong emphasis was placed on localisation, while continuously working towards the integration of Chinese and Malaysian standards. During the project, a wide range of local Malaysian elements were incorporated and local talent actively nurtured. Many Malaysian technical personnel have been sent to China for training. Looking ahead, the ECRL will be operated through a joint China-Malaysia partnership, with both parties working together as part of an integrated operation and maintenance team.
With the completion of all tunnelling works, the ECRL project now moves into its next phase, which includes track installation, electrification, signaling and communication systems, as well as station interior fit-outs. All works remain on schedule and aligned with the project's timeline. The ECRL extends from Malaysia's largest transport hub, Port Klang, and runs across the peninsula to the north-eastern Kelantan state. The railway is expected to greatly enhance connectivity and bring more balanced growth to the country by linking its less-developed region on the east coast to the economic heartland on the west coast.