Fajarbaru eyeing ECRL sub-contract jobs

KUALA LIPIS: Fajarbaru Builder Group Bhd, which is undertaking railway rehabilitation works for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) along the Mentakab and Gua Musang stretch, hopes to win sub-contract jobs from the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.

“The machinery we received today (Thursday) has a shelf life of at least 20 years, which means after the completion of the project in Pahang, we can deploy it for other usage,” said Fajarbaru group executive director Eric Kuan Khian Leng after the handover of trackwork machinery from China Jiangsu KTK Locomotive & Rolling Stocks Co Ltd and Gemac Engineering Machinery Co Ltd, here, yesterday.

“We are definitely eyeing potential job packages that ECRL offers.”

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the RM800 million Gemas-Tumpat railway rehabilitation works were slated to be completed by 2020.

“By upgrading the 550km Gemas-Tumpat route, the train will eventually be able run at 90kph from the current 60kph,” said Liow.

He said the government had spent RM400 million to buy 13 sets of four-car diesel multiple units for KTMB.

Also present were Transport Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Chua Kok Ching, KTMB general manager (project management department) Major (Rtd) Abdul Rahman Din, Fajarbaru chairman Datuk Low Keng Kok, Fajarbaru chief operating officer Toh Teong Hock, Gemac Engineering sales director Cai Ke Rong and Jiangsu KTK Locomotive & Rolling Stocks chief executive officer Ge Jiang Ming.

The machinery include the Jiangsu KTK–Shunting Locomotive (to transport construction material and ballast), ballast wagon, flat wagon, crane wagon, ballast cleaning machine, ballast regulator (to shape and distribute the gravel track ballast), tamping machine (to tamp and line the tracks), switch tamper (to increase ballast density and track stability) and dynamic stabiliser (to improve horizontal resistance of track and stability of track bed).

Kuan said the machinery was procured to facilitate the rehabilitation of track formation, replacement of ballast and associated works between Mentakab and Gua Musang railway station (Package B) that was awarded by KTMB last year. Ooi Tee Ching