KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Some 200 auxiliary police personnel will be deployed at East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) hotspots from November as part of tighter security measures against cable theft and to ensure smooth rail operations.

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said detection devices, alarm systems and closed-circuit television cameras had also been installed, while security guards and enforcement agencies were being engaged.

“Throughout the construction of the ECRL, we suffered losses of about RM4 million due to cable theft, including three cases last month,” he said at an ECRL operational readiness briefing for media editors today.

Darwis said MRL, as the project and asset owner, remained confident that the ECRL could begin operations by mid-December 2026, based on positive results from System Integration Testing (SIT).

He said progress in the testing and commissioning phase had allowed Fault-Free Runs (FFR) involving Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) for passenger services and electric locomotives (E-Locos) for freight services to begin this month, a month ahead of schedule, without compromising safety or quality.

Meanwhile, Darwis welcomed the agreement between the governments of Malaysia and China on the proposed 30km extension of the ECRL from Kota Bharu to Rantau Panjang.

He said the extension was expected to reuse about 18km of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) tracks between Pasir Mas and Rantau Panjang, which have been out of service since 2005.

“The project will facilitate the movement of cargo from southern Thailand to Malaysia, while allowing us to explore the potential of extending the line,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the proposed extension following his recent working visit to China, saying it could connect Malaysia’s rail network with Thailand’s east coast rail system and strengthen links within the wider Pan-Asian rail network.

ECRL Operation Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Zaidi Sharif, meanwhile, said its E-Loco freight service had attracted strong interest from major companies seeking to reduce transport costs and their carbon footprint.

“The E-Loco service will not operate on a fixed timetable but according to demand from companies requiring freight services, which will operate at night,” he said. — Bernama