Sixty-six Malaysians under the East Coast Rail Link’s (ECRL) Industrial Skills Training Programme have completed a one-year railway operations and maintenance training programme in Liuzhou, China, paving the way for their deployment in the operational phase of the rail network.
The graduates, who trained at Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College (LRVTC), are the first batch of Malaysians to complete the PLKI-ECRL operations and maintenance programme. They will be automatically assigned to roles within the ECRL network, including Station Duty Officers, EMU Maintenance Technicians and Signalling Technicians.
The programme forms part of the ECRL project’s long-term workforce development plan aimed at preparing Malaysians for railway operations and maintenance as the rail line nears completion. A total of 259 Malaysians across three batches have been enrolled in the programme since May 2025.
Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dato’ Sri Darwis Abdul Razak said the graduates would join the ECRL team ahead of the project’s testing and commissioning phase scheduled to begin in June 2026.
“The achievement also reflects the strong collaboration between Malaysia and China in spearheading railway expertise and facilitating transfer of advanced technology. It will also reinforce the MRL-CCCECRL 50:50 partnership to operate and maintain the ECRL with a shared objective in delivering a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly rail transport service,” he said.
China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd managing director Deng Bo said the graduates would play an important role in supporting the operational readiness and long-term service quality of the ECRL.
The ECRL project recorded overall progress of 93.66% as of April 2026. Phase 1 from Kota Bharu to Gombak is targeted for completion by December 2026, with commercial operations expected to begin in January 2027.