Go-ahead for electric Gemas-JB rail line

Najib confirms double-tracking project to complete the double-track network up to Padang Besar.

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Federal Government will continue with double-tracking the Gemas-Johor Baru railway line, Najib Razak announced here.

“I am pleased to confirm that the Federal Government will continue with this project as set out in the 2016 Budget recently,” he said at the launch of the Forest City real estate development here.

The government announced the award of the Gemas-Johor Bahru electrified double tracking project to the China Railway company last year.

The line will complete an electrified double-tracking rail network from Padang Besar to Johor Baru.

It was reported that currently, there are 1,641.4km of railway network in Malaysia, of which 46 per cent are electrified double tracks.

The completion of the Gemas-JB EDTP in 2020 will extend the rail network to 58 per cent, it said.

The prime minister said that the development plans undertaken by the Johor government at a rapid pace in the strive towards an inclusive development would definitely bolster the state’s economic development.

In fact, this year, Johor continues to move ahead towards becoming another important economic hub after the Klang Valley, especially with tremendous growth in certain sectors such as oil and gas as seen in Pengerang, he said.

Najib said the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex project with its first phase of development, which entailed the US$27 billion Pengerang Integrated Complex by Petronas and the RM9 billion Pengerang Independent Deepwater Terminal by Dialog-Royal Vopak-State Secretary, Johor (Incorporated), went ahead as planned despite the global economic uncertainty.

– BERNAMA