GOMBAK, Aug 14 — The Transport Ministry (MOT) is looking at shortening the Fault-Free Run (FFR) for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), which normally takes two to three months to bring forward the railway’s operations.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the process would be streamlined without compromising safety.
“FFR takes two to three months, so we want to see how we can shorten that period.
“By the time it reaches the FFR, all the previous tests would have already been passed,” he told the media after the commencement of the ECRL System Integration Testing (SIT) and FFR at the ECRL Gombak Station today.
Loke added that safety remains the MOT’s priority and no risks would be taken in expediting the process.
“Of course, we will not take any risks. This is a process, so as I said, we will facilitate it without compromising safety.
“I am more afraid than you, if there is any risk,” he said.
The ministry is also looking at both safety and the duration for regulatory processes, as some procedures may take longer than necessary compared with other countries.
“We are taking into account, firstly, safety, and secondly, the time taken.
“Sometimes the time taken by our authorities is too long. So, we want to simplify the process without compromising safety,” Loke said.
Earlier in his speech, the minister challenged Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to bring forward the start of ECRL operations to early December, ahead of the year-end school holidays.
All 10 ECRL train sets would have to undergo FFR before service could begin.
He noted that five train sets have already arrived in Malaysia, while the remaining sets are expected to arrive over the coming months.
Before being shipped to Malaysia, the train sets had undergone various tests at their manufacturing facilities in China.
In Malaysia, they would undergo SIT to ensure they work with the railway’s electrical, signalling, and other systems.
“When all that can run smoothly, which we started this August, then it will enter the FFR phase,” Loke said.
The MOT’s efforts to shorten the FFR period could help bring forward ECRL operations to as early as December this year, instead of early next year, if everything proceeds smoothly.
Meanwhile, he said that ECRL’s staff recruitment and training began two years ago, with many Malaysian staff sent to Liuzhou, China, for training.
The ECRL’s 10 train sets are expected to provide an initial capacity of around 10,000 passengers a day, with each train capable of carrying up to 425 passengers.
Also present at the event were Selangor state executive councillor for investment, trade, and mobility Ng Sze Han and CCCC president Zhang Bingnan.
