KUALA TERENGGANU: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega-rail project, which is expected to be completed in December 2026, is currently 7.19 per cent complete.

Malaysia Rail Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said the project was proceeding smoothly despite a slight delay due to technical problems.

"We have experienced delays, but with the current development now, we can catch up. Overall, it can progress better this year.

"God willing, for the Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor alignments - Sections A, B, and C1 - will be completed in December 2026 and operational on Jan 1, 2027," he told reporters after attending the Terengganu Royal Malaysian Customs Department's Jalinan Kasih Keluarga Malaysia (Corporate Social Responsibility) event with Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali and Customs director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir here, today.

He added that land acquisition work for the ECRL project in Terengganu and Pahang were also currently progressing smoothly and had achieved 89 per cent progress and expected to be resolved in 2023.

"As such, I am counting on the commitment of all parties especially the state governments to assist the project and ensure it is completed in 2026 as scheduled," he said.

-- BERNAMA