KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Transport (MOT) is ready to study the need for the rehabilitation of railway tracks and the feasibility of reintroducing the rail service route at the main eastern coast entry point, from Rantau Panjang to Pekan Golok.
Deputy Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said that the process of restoring the rail service between Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas must take into account financial allocations, environmental, social, and economic impacts, as well as other factors.
He explained that the 18.7-kilometer railway track between Pasir Mas and Rantau Panjang, which connects Malaysia and Thailand, has been closed since 1982 for passenger services, while freight services were discontinued in 2006 due to safety concerns and the aftermath of major floods.
“Since then, the rail route has been completely closed, and the infrastructure, including the Rantau Panjang railway station, is in a dilapidated state and requires restoration, maintenance, and upgrading before it can be reopened,” he said during the Special Chamber session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Hasbi said this in reply to Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff’s (PN-Rantau Panjang) proposal on the need to rehabilitate the railway tracks and reintroduce the rail service at the main eastern coast entry point, from Rantau Panjang to Pekan Golok, to boost the local economy, strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and Thailand, and enhance trade activities in the border area.
The deputy minister said that the government acknowledges the proposal, which is seen as a way to improve accessibility and stimulate the economy between Malaysia and Thailand.
“A project like this, if restored, would not only boost the local economy but also strengthen relations between the two countries and enhance trade activities in the border area,“ he said.
At the same time, Hasbi said that the MOT is also studying the feasibility of extending the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which currently ends at Tunjong, Kota Bharu, to the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Pasir Mas station.
He said that this extension would make the ECRL more effective as a catalyst for economic growth on the East Coast and help narrow the economic gap with the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, besides providing easier options and cost savings for both cargo transport and passenger travel between Malaysia and Thailand.
