Malaysia Decides to Extend East Coast Rail Link to Thailand

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced after a recent meeting that the government has decided to extend the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) from the Tumpat station in Kelantan to Rantau Panjang, using the same gauge to continue northward and connect with Thailand's railway network. The proposal has been submitted to Malaysia's Ministry of Transport for further consultation with the Thai side.

The East Coast Rail Link, spanning approximately 665 kilometers and passing through regions including Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor, is a key infrastructure project in Malaysia. Once extended to Thailand, the line is expected to connect with Thailand's southern railway network, forming a Malaysia-Thailand cross-border rail corridor and opening a new logistics channel for Malaysian agricultural and manufactured products to enter the ASEAN market.

During the talks, both sides also reached a consensus on accelerating border connectivity, including the establishment of border economic zones, streamlining customs clearance processes, and integrating railway and road infrastructure. The two parties also discussed the feasibility of restarting the cross-border railway from Rantau Panjang to Thailand's Sungai Kolok and planned to build a second cross-border bridge connecting the two locations to improve the border transportation network layout.

In the global trade landscape, Thailand is Malaysia's sixth-largest trading partner and second-largest within ASEAN, with stable growth in bilateral economic and trade relations. Malaysia and Thailand are advancing the construction of border economic zones, covering traditional nodes such as Thailand's Sadao and Malaysia's Bukit Kayu Hitam, and incorporating Rantau Panjang into the planning scope. Both sides aim to unlock the potential growth space of border trade by improving transport infrastructure.