Its minister Loke Siew Fook said the matter was one of the ministry’s important policies.
He said rail transport was not only cost-saving and environmentally friendly, but also improved the level of road safety.
“It can reduce the number of large vehicles travelling between the east coast and the Klang Valley, with most of them passing through the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway.
“When passing through areas such as Genting Sempah, it can cause severe congestion and the demographics in the area can also be dangerous.
“One of the things we will emphasise (with the use of the ECRL) is the unloading of goods between Port Klang and Kuantan port, and not just focus on passengers,” he said at a press conference after attending the 10th anniversary of the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) here today.
Also present were Pahang menteri besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and deputy international trade and industry minister Liew Chin Tong.
Loke said the development of the ECRL would be a catalyst for the existence of more industrial parks and logistics hubs along its route, such as in Bentong and Temerloh. It will simultaneously improve the economic sector and create job opportunities.
He also said work on the 665km ECRL project was progressing according to schedule, with the physical work expected to be completed in 2026.
“The price of tickets has not yet been decided and will be worked out with Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL), as the owner of the project, when the work is completed,” he said.
Asked about the Pahang government’s plan to build a new airport in Kuantan, Loke said the ministry respected that wish and always tried to facilitate applications related to the development of transport infrastructure.
He said this required further discussions and also involved the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia.
Loke said the existing airport, the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport, is located in an area belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
The airport construction plan was announced by Wan Rosdy in October 2021. He said it had been agreed on in principle by the National Physical Planning Council, with the state government being asked to conduct an in-depth study.
On July 6, 2022, Wan Rosdy said the construction of the airport, at a cost of RM2 billion, would be part of a mixed development plan for the aerospace city in Gebeng.
Construction was slated to begin this year and expected to be operational by 2026.
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