The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) Project’s 959m Gombak Tunnel has achieved a tunnelling breakthrough one month ahead of schedule, becoming the 36th ECRL tunnel to successfully complete excavation to date.
The final blast at Malaysia’s Gombak Tunnel punched through the last barrier some 38m from the tunnel portal. The achievement is a culmination of approximately 5,813,560 man-hours and the adoption of the drill-and-blast method of tunnelling that bored through primarily weathered granite.
The permanent lining for the Gombak Tunnel had progressed to 892m prior to the ceremony. The tunnel has an average height of 12m and width of 13m, providing the space for two standard gauge railway tracks upon completion.
Excavation works for Gombak Tunnel commenced in June 2023 and scheduled for breakthrough in the fourth quarter of 2024. All related civil works for the Gombak Tunnel is expected to be fully completed by March 2025.
The construction of the tunnel will enable the ECRL railway track to comply with its maximum gradient of 0.9 percent as well as avoid major open forest cutting at the Batu 11 Gombak area.
Selangor Chief Minister, Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, officiated the ‘ECRL Gombak Tunnel Breakthrough’ ceremony at the tunnel’s exit portal today.
The ECRL Project features the construction of 41 tunnels with a total length of about 69km along its rail alignment, of which 21 are located within Section A (Kota Bharu-Dungun) and Section B (Dungun-Mentakab) while the remaining 20 are situated in Section C (Mentakab-Port Klang).
Of the 20 ECRL tunnels in Section C, a total of nine tunnels are located within Selangor. They include the 3.5km Serendah 1 Tunnel and 9.85km Serendah 2 Tunnel which are both under excavation.
The ECRL Project registered its first tunnel breakthrough at the 1.1km Paka Tunnel in Terengganu six months ahead of schedule back in April 2021. In contrast, the first tunnel breakthrough in Selangor was achieved at the 469m Sungai Buaya 2 Tunnel in May 2024.
MRL Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Sri Darwis Abdul Razak, said the Gombak Tunnel breakthrough further showcased advanced tunnel excavation technologies and strong dedication by the ECRL team involved, noting that the achievement will drive the excavation of the remaining ECRL tunnels to be completed within the time frame.
“The ECRL Gombak Tunnel breakthrough marks another milestone in the project’s progress as it is an integral component for the completion of the ECRL alignment from Kota Bharu, Kelantan to the Gombak Integrated Terminal, Selangor by December 2026. We are optimistic to commence ECRL operations from January 2027 onwards to align with the aspirations of the people and the business communities by providing seamless transportation for passengers and freight respectively,” he added.
CCCECRL Managing Director Kong Qi stated, “The successful breakthrough of the Gombak Tunnel is a significant milestone for our project and reflects the dedication and expertise of the entire team.
This achievement underscores our commitment to employing advanced tunnelling technologies and fostering strong collaboration among all stakeholders. We are focused on maintaining this momentum to provide safe, reliable, and efficient transportation solutions. Together, we are building a brighter, more connected future for Malaysia.”
MRL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Minister of Finance, is the project owner of the ECRL while CCCC is the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) contractor. The 665km ECRL will traverse the East Coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang before linking with Selangor on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The ECRL will cut travel time and expected to link Kota Bharu with the Gombak Integrated Terminal in four hours as compared to some seven hours by road transport.
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