Transport Minister, Dato Sir Dr. Wee Ka Siong assures the public that the government will be making ECRL train fares high and causing a burden.
He was commenting on remarks made by an opposition MP who claimed that the ECRL fares could be 6 times higher than airfares as the cost to build the railway was expensive. He added that the only way the government could recoup the cost was to charge higher for users of the service. Dr. Wee rubbished the claim and called it speculative and unsubstantiated.
The RM50.27 billion project was a massive undertaking by then Prime Minister Dato Sri Najib Razak, which is being constructed mainly by Chinese giant China Communication Construction. The track runs from Kelantan past Terengganu, Pahang and into Kuala Lumpur heading into Port Klang, it will connect the East Coast with the West and is expected to generate much economic development for towns and States it passes through.
Dr Wee stated that all fares will require prior approval from the Government, he was quoted saying that just like other railway routes operating in Malaysia, the ECRL fare structure needs to obtain Government approval before it operates. This is in line with the requirements of the Land Public Transport Act and the License of Train Operator under the authority of the Land Public Transportation Agency (APAD) as the regulatory supervisor.
In fact, the Transport Minister clarified that 70% of the load will be coming from cargo which will be the main source of revenue for the operator.
