First phase of Malaysia's East Coast Rail Link set to open with 16 stations and fares from RM60

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First phase of Malaysia's East Coast Rail Link set to open with 16 stations and fares from RM60

20 October 2026

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Darwis Abdul Razak said on 20 October 2026 that the first phase of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) may open on 12 December 2026, or earlier if final testing proceeds smoothly.
Phase 1 has 16 stations, from Gombak in Selangor to Kota Baru in Kelantan, passing Temerloh, Kuantan Port City, Dungun and Kuala Terengganu.
A fault-free run begins on 23 October 2026 and trial operations are planned for November 2026.
The Cabinet approved the fare structure on 16 October 2026. One-way Transit fares start at RM60 for Gombak to KotaSAS, RM95 to Kuala Terengganu and RM125 to Kota Baru; Express fares to Kota Baru start at RM147.
The Transit service stops at all 16 stations and takes nearly five hours to Kota Baru, while the Express stops only at KotaSAS and Kuala Terengganu and completes the journey in four hours.
Cargo operations are slated to start in 2028 and are expected to provide 70 per cent of initial revenue.

Targeted opening of Phase 1: 12 December 2026, or earlier Stations in Phase 1: 16, Gombak to Kota Baru Lowest one-way Transit fare: RM60, Gombak to KotaSAS Cargo operations: Slated for 2028, 70 per cent of initial revenue

Why it matters for exams: The ECRL is a flagship Belt and Road era rail project in Southeast Asia, and its phasing, stations and fare structure are the kind of detail asked in infrastructure questions.

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20 October 2026 Source: The Star report

In plain words

ECRL East Coast Rail Link — A railway being built across Peninsular Malaysia linking the east coast states to the Klang Valley.

MRL Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd — The government-owned company that develops and owns the East Coast Rail Link.