China-Malaysia rail project marks milestone

KUALA LUMPUR — The East Coast Rail Link, a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company, marked another key milestone on Saturday with the breakthrough of the 16.39-kilometer Genting Tunnel.

The breakthrough represents a significant achievement in itself, situated beneath more than 750 meters of mountainous terrain, the company said in a statement following a ceremony to mark the occasion.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, who officiated the ceremony, told a news briefing that the breakthrough also highlights the successful cooperation between the two countries in railway engineering.

"The ECRL is also touted as a 'game changer' for the movement of passengers and freight in Peninsular Malaysia, as this rail infrastructure will link state capitals, major urban centers, industrial hubs, seaports, airports, and tourism zones while interchanging with existing railway lines along the ECRL corridor," he said.

Darwis Abdul Razak, CEO of Malaysia Rail Link, said: "The Genting Tunnel breakthrough also signals the completion of excavation works for all 41 ECRL tunnels along the 665-km alignment. This major milestone highlights the strong collaboration and dedication among the ECRL personnel at all levels in carrying out tunnel excavation works with meticulous planning and robust safety protocols."

Located within the Titiwangsa mountain range, the Genting Tunnel was the most technically challenging of the 41 tunnels constructed along the ECRL alignment, being constructed with advanced tunnel boring machines and drill-and-blast techniques in highly complex and varied geological conditions.

Chen Jianfeng, deputy general manager of Second Highway Engineering of China Communications Construction Company, told Xinhua News Agency that China's tunnel boring machine technology is among the world's most advanced and well-suited to handle these challenges.

"The Genting Tunnel has highly complex geological conditions, including water ingress, rock bursts, soft surrounding rock, and six fault zones along the alignment. Due to these challenges, we chose the tunnel boring machines method, which offers greater safety, stability, and efficiency for tunneling under such difficult conditions," he said.

The Chinese side has worked well with the Malaysian side to share knowledge and integrate processes, not only by bringing in advanced machinery and expertise but also by incorporating localization, he added.

"Throughout construction in Malaysia, we have placed strong emphasis on localization while continuously working toward the integration of Chinese and Malaysian standards ... we incorporated a wide range of local Malaysian elements and actively nurtured local talent."

Xinhua