A ceremony was held in Kota Bharu, Kelantan in Malaysia on May 12 to commence construction of the first station of the country's East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).
A ceremony is held in Kota Bharu, Kelantan in Malaysia on May 12 to commence construction of the first station of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL). [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The Kota Bharu Station is the starting point of the ECRL project and the first station where construction has started.
The design of the station building is inspired by a traditional house in Kelantan and local cultural elements are also added to show the traditional cultural characteristics of Kelantan.
The building will include a multi-story platform, a parking lot, a passenger pick-up and drop-off area, a windward passage, dorms for staff members of the station and a scenic green belt.
The ECRL project is approximately 665 kilometers long and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.
Once operational, it will make the travel between Kelantan to Selangor easier by cutting down the travel hours from eight to four, and also help improve the efficiency of logistics. At the same time, it will play a role in promoting development of investment, employment, tourism and manufacturing in affected areas.
China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC) will be responsible for the project.
At the launch ceremony, CCCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a cooperation plan for China-Malaysia railway talent training with the owner of the rail project and the Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, hoping the project will help cultivate railway construction technical talents in Malaysia.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
