- “The first EMU (electric multiple unit) needs to undergo 8,000km of testing, while the subsequent batch requires 5,000km of testing.”
KUALA LUMPUR (June 24): The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL)’s first batch of train sets will be delivered to Malaysia’s Kuantan Port from its manufacturers in Dalian, China from October, beginning with two sets each for carrying passengers and cargoes.
The four electrified trains will be shipped to Kuantan port, said Zhang Jian, vice-president of the train sets’ manufacturer CRRC Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co Ltd — a unit of Hong Kong and Shanghai-listed CRRC Corp Ltd.
“Upon arrival, they will undergo a failure-free testing on-site. The first EMU (electric multiple unit) needs to undergo 8,000km of testing, while the subsequent batch requires 5,000km of testing,” Zhang told Malaysian reporters during a visit to the company’s manufacturing facility in Dalian on June 19.
“There are two types of products: 160km/hour EMUs and 80km/hour electric locomotives. The EMUs are mainly used to transport passengers, while the locomotives are primarily for freight transport,” he said.
In total, CRRC Dalian will deliver 11 sets of EMUs and 12 units of electric locomotives for the ECRL project. The warranty period is for two years, Zhang said.
Failure-free testing means the train sets would need to travel the required mileage without any issues, and this would take up to one month, said Zhang. The mileage resets should any issues arise in the process, he added. All in, CRRC will provide a full life cycle service for the rolling stocks.
CRRC Dalian’s entry into the ECRL project follows the signing of a contract with the project’s engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contractor, China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd (CCCECRL), back in 2022 for the 23 train sets.
Production of the trains began in April, CRRC Dalian said, with joint commissioning and testing scheduled for September, before being shipped out from the port in Dalian in October.
Aside from the ECRL, CRRC is also involved in the leasing of 62 trains to KTMB, through CRRC Dalian’s sister company CRRC Zhu Zhou locomotive Co Ltd. The leasing, signed in August last year for an estimated RM10.7 billion, covers a 30-year period, as well as the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of the units by the train supplier.
