KUANTAN: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which is currently under construction, provides opportunities for local workers to gain experience and explore new skills
A welder, A. Gunaseelan, 40, now the welding supervisor at the ECRL Section 10 Station site in Gebeng, here, considers it a golden opportunity to be involved in the project as it provides him with a new experience.
Born in Taiping, Perak, Gunaseelan, said the use of advanced and latest equipment in the mega project provided him with new knowledge and skills.
“Before, when using a machine, there would still work to be done manually, but now everything is done by machine. It makes work easier and faster.
“Operating the machine can add value to my career and will certainly be useful in the future,“ said Gunaseelan, who has been working at the rail welding workshop there for the past six months.
He was met by reporters during a media visit to the site of ECRL Section 10 Station here, yesterday where media practitioners were given a tour of the track construction operation control centre and the railway sleeper production workshop, and then rode an ECRL diesel locomotive.
As a Malaysian, Gunaseelan said he was proud to be involved in realising the high-impact infrastructure project, which is expected to be in operation in January 2027 and offer passenger train services at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour (km/h) as well as a cargo train with a speed of 80km/h.
Quantity surveyor Nor Azlin Nadira Abd Rahman, 30, is another local working on the project and her task involved seeing to cost management, contracts and the financial aspects of the project.
The woman, who is from Dungun, Terengganu, said the project has enriched her knowledge of the installation of railway tracks and the use of technology from China.
Nor Azlin NadiraI, who has been at the post for a year, said ECRL also provided her with the opportunity to learn more about budgeting and resource allocation for infrastructure projects.
“This is the first project in Malaysia to have a railway sleeping and also a welding workshop at the project construction site. The installation of the tracks uses a machine from China, which is capable of installing 500 metres of rail at a time.
“It provides me with a better understanding of how this project was developed and the technical aspects used. The work environment also allows me to improve my communication skills with colleagues from China.
“Overall, working here not only improved my technical knowledge but also contributed to my personal and career development,“ she added.
The ECRL project includes a 665km long rail network across the East Coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang before connecting the Klang Valley on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, in addition to opening employment opportunities for about 23,000 workers during the peak period of its construction.
ECRL is a project owned by Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd which is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) wholly owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated, while China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) is the project’s engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contractor.–Bernama