ECRL offers relief from festive traffic, but at a higher cost
PETALING JAYA: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) offers travellers a chance to trade hours behind the wheel and festive traffic for a more relaxing journey home, with return tickets for a family of four travelling to Kota Bharu costing RM1,000 at the starting fare, compared with an estimated RM156 in petrol and tolls for the return road trip.
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With commercial passenger services due to begin in December, the rail link offers an alternative for those willing to pay more for the convenience of travelling without the fatigue of driving long distances, particularly during peak festive periods.
Based on subsidised Budi95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre and an illustrative fuel consumption rate of seven litres per 100km, the estimated one-way driving costs are:
- Kuantan: About RM35 for petrol and RM36 for tolls, totalling RM71 one-way or RM142 return. The journey takes about three-and-a-half hours each way.
- Kuala Terengganu: About RM61 for petrol and RM56 for tolls, totalling RM117 one-way or RM234 return. The journey takes about five hours.
- Kota Bharu: About RM61 for petrol and RM17 for tolls via the inland route, totalling RM78 one-way or RM156 return. The journey takes nearly seven hours. An alternative route via Terengganu could cost about RM234 return.
The estimates assume a conventional passenger car consuming seven litres of petrol per 100km.
Actual costs would vary according to vehicle type, driving conditions and routes.
The figures exclude meals, parking, vehicle maintenance and other incidental expenses.
Motorists using less fuel-efficient vehicles or travelling longer distances may also face higher costs.
However, during festive periods, time spent on the road could become a bigger burden than a fuel bill. Severe congestion around Gombak, Bentong, Karak and Gua Musang could turn routine journeys into exhausting trips lasting 12 to 20 hours, particularly during the Aidilfitri rush.
During last year’s festivities, traffic queues reportedly stretched 15km to 20km along the Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis corridor.
Prolonged idling and stop-start traffic could also increase fuel consumption.
For families travelling with young children and elderly relatives, hours in congested traffic could make the journey physically demanding, leaving motorists exhausted before they even reach home.
Express buses remain an affordable alternative, with advertised one-way fares starting at about RM25 for Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu and RM45 for Kota Bharu.
However, buses are also vulnerable to highway congestion. Selected Kuala Lumpur-Kota Bharu flights start at about RM100 one-way, although airport transfers, baggage and additional charges could raise the overall cost.
During festive periods, return airfares could approach RM1,000, depending on demand and booking dates.
The ECRL offers a different proposition: passengers are allowed to rest during the journey instead of spending hours behind the wheel.
Its express service is expected to complete the Gombak-Kota Bharu journey in about four hours, potentially sparing passengers prolonged traffic delays and the fatigue of driving long distances.
For families returning to their hometowns, the railway could offer a more comfortable and predictable journey, allowing them to spend time together rather than concentrate on navigating congested highways.
However, the cost could be a deciding factor, particularly for larger families.