RAIL BOUNTY

SOME 30 per cent of the civil work contracts for the RM55 billion East Coast Rail Link project will be awarded to local contractors this year, says Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd. The first tender, worth ‘billions of ringgit’, will be dished out in April.

THIRTY per cent of the civil works for the RM55 billion East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project will be awarded to local contractors starting April.

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd head of construction Noor Azlan Salleh said two sets of tenders would be offered with one in April and another possibly in October.

It was reported that Gamuda Bhd, IJM Corp Bhd, Gabungan AQRS Bhd, WCT Holdings Bhd, WZ Satu Bhd and Fajarbaru Builder Group Bhd were the serious contenders.

“What we are trying to do this year is to start infrastructure works, especially the permanent works. Advance works are being handled by the main contractor, China Communications Construction Company.

“To start the permanent works, 30 per cent of civil works will be awarded to local contractors this year. We have no exact value for the first tender for local contractors as we are still assessing, but it is estimated to be few billion ringgit,” he told a media briefing, here, yesterday.

Sixty per cent of ECRL’s construction works consist of infrastructure works while the balance are system works.

Azlan said local contractors’ job scope was not just limited to civil works as they could bid for system, design and other related works.

“The bidding has received overwhelming response from our local contractors. We are still filtering,” he added.

Meanwhile, Azlan said earthworks along the alignment were on track and progressing well.

“At least 45 tunnels on multiple sites totalling 49km will be built along the 688km ECRL alignment.

“One of it is the 16.375km Genting tunnel, which will be the longest rail tunnel in the country.

“It is a twin bore tunnel from Bentong to Gombak,” he said.

The ECRL project is part of RM144 billion worth of investments and partnership signed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during an official visit to China in November 2016.