KUALA LUMPUR: Fares for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will start at RM125 for economy-class transit services between Gombak and Kota Baru, ahead of the railway's scheduled commercial operations on Dec 12.
Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said the government approved the dynamic pricing mechanism in principle on June 28, 2024, while the implementation formula was approved on Oct 16, 2026.
"The RM125 is the starting fare for economy-class transit services from Gombak to Kota Baru, and not a fixed price for all journeys," he said at a press conference on ECRL fares here today.
He said the approach, similar to pricing practices in the aviation industry, would allow passengers who planned their journeys early or travelled at selected times to secure lower fares, subject to ticket availability.
For the 523km Gombak-Kota Baru route, express fares will start at RM147.
Transit fares from Gombak to Kuala Terengganu and KotaSAS will begin at RM95 and RM60 respectively, while express fares for the two routes will start at RM110 and RM68 respectively.
The same starting fares will apply to journeys in the opposite direction.
The government has also approved discounts of up to 50 per cent for children aged two to 12, Malaysian citizens aged 60 and above, persons with disabilities (OKU) and government pensioners.
Students aged 13 to 24 will receive a 40 per cent discount.
Darwis said the discounts reflected the government's aim of making the ECRL more inclusive and accessible to different segments of society, including families, students and senior citizens.
He said the railway would significantly reduce travel time between the east coast and the Klang Valley, with express services from Gombak to Kota Baru expected to take about four hours, compared with seven to eight hours by road.
Transit services on the route are expected to take up to five hours.
"Express services from Gombak to Kuala Terengganu are scheduled to take two hours and 54 minutes, compared with three hours and 51 minutes for transit services.
"Meanwhile, express journeys from Gombak to KotaSAS are expected to take one hour and 27 minutes, compared with two hours and five minutes for transit services," he said.
Darwis said official ticket sales were scheduled to begin in mid-November, while passenger services between Gombak and Kota Baru are targeted to commence on Dec 12, subject to the completion of safety requirements and relevant approvals.
"If we can open earlier, we will open earlier than that," he said.
Initially, 10 electric multiple-unit train sets will operate at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour.
The ECRL plans to operate 12 daily services from Monday to Thursday, comprising six trips in each direction.
The frequency will increase to 16 daily services from Friday to Sunday, with eight trips in each direction.
About 2.2 million seats are expected to be offered throughout 2027, with service frequency to be reviewed according to actual passenger demand and operational requirements.
Darwis said the ECRL was more than a rail infrastructure project, describing it as a strategic national investment that could expand access to employment, education, tourism, trade and business opportunities along its route.
He said the railway would connect Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor, bringing communities closer together while supporting more balanced regional development.
On operational readiness, Darwis said the project had reached 98.16 per cent completion, while train testing had exceeded 50,000km.
Final readiness reviews were scheduled for Oct 23, followed by trial operations in November.
He said MRL remained focused on completing the necessary safety and operational requirements before passenger services began.
The ECRL will be operated by ECRL Operations Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between MRL and China Communications Construction Company Ltd, with each holding a 50 per cent equity interest.
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