On the afternoon of May 12, 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kota Bharu Station of the Malaysia East Coast Railway Project was held in Kota Bharu, the capital of Kelantan. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, Malaysian Transport Minister Loke Siu Fook and Chinese project leaders attended the ceremony. Kota Bharu Station is the first station to commence construction of the East Coast Rail Link project.

The construction of the East Coast Railway in Malaysia, undertaken by a Chinese enterprise, is a key project of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Malaysia. After the project is completed, it is expected to drive the economic development of the East Coast of Malaysia and greatly improve the level of connectivity along the route.

The East Coast Railway starts from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia, and ends at Port Klang, Selangor. The line is more than 600 kilometers long and is scheduled to be completed in 2027. The East Coast Railway project will connect important ports on the east and west coasts of the Malay Peninsula, and play a role in improving transportation, attracting investment, and creating jobs. The project is also regarded as a road bridge connecting the east and west coasts of Malaysia. After completion, it is expected to drive the economic development of the east coast of Malaysia and greatly improve the level of connectivity along the route.

As of April 2023, 43% of the project has been completed and has entered the accelerated construction period. It is planned to complete Sections A and B by the end of 2026, and Section C by the end of 2027. At present, it takes nearly 8 hours to drive from Kelantan on the east coast of Malaysia to Selangor on the west coast. After the railway is opened to traffic, the two places can be reached in 4 hours, which greatly facilitates residents' travel and improves logistics efficiency.

The Malaysia East Rail project has promoted local development during the construction period. Many local youths worked on the project and trained local railway professionals through the China-Malaysia Railway Talent Training Program. The project construction also brought business opportunities to more than 3,000 local cooperative enterprises.Editor/Ma Xue