This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on August 31, 2026 - September 6, 2026

THE target for completing the RM4.475 billion rehabilitation of Phase 2 of the Klang Valley Double Track (KVDT2) project remains the fourth quarter of next year, according to Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) group CEO Datuk Azlan Shah Al Bakri.

“The government and we (KTMB) are encouraging that it be done as fast as possible. The initial completion date was supposed to be 2029. We’re trying to finish it by the fourth quarter of 2027,” Azlan tells The Edge in an interview.

The twice-cancelled KVDT2 rehabilitation involves replacing tracks that have been in operation for more than 30 years. The work covers two live electrified railway corridors — the route from Salak South to Seremban and the line from Abdullah Hukum to Port Klang — measuring a total of 265km.

The project is being carried out by Dhaya Maju LTAT Sdn Bhd, an 80:20 joint venture between privately held Dhaya Maju Infrastructure (Asia) Sdn Bhd (DMIA) and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT).

To speed up the works, KTMB has introduced nightly full-line closures from 9.30pm to 5.30am, allowing the contractor greater access to the tracks.

“We’re giving them the hours needed for them to expedite the work. With the new train sets coming in, we want to be as efficient as possible,” says Azlan.

He says there is little prospect of electrifying the existing East Coast railway line, which runs from Gemas in Negeri Sembilan to Tumpat in Kelantan, given the government’s investment in the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), which is scheduled to begin commercial operations in January 2027.

“The government has invested in ECRL, so I don’t see why there’s another line that needs to be built for us to do electrification,” Azlan says, ruling out an expansion of its popular electric train services (ETS) to the East Coast for now.

“I think as far as ECRL is concerned, that’s sufficient. Because the government also has got its limitations as far as resources [and financials} are concerned,” he adds.

The existing East Coast railway is a single-track metre-gauge line. A rehabilitation project launched in 2016 was divided into three subpackages: tracks from Gemas to Mentakab (Package A), tracks from Jerantut to Gua Musang (Package B) and tracks from Gua Musang to Tumpat (Package C). Only Package A and Package B have been completed.

KVDT2, meanwhile, has had a troubled history. The previous Barisan Nasional government awarded the project to Dhaya Maju LTAT for RM5.265 billion in April 2018, shortly before parliament was dissolved ahead of the 14th general election.

The Pakatan Harapan government terminated the contract in September that year, citing its high cost and the direct-negotiation method used to award it.

A new contract was signed with Dhaya Maju LTAT a year later at RM4.475 billion, about 15% below the original value. However, in August 2020, the Perikatan Nasional-led government decided to terminate the contract and reopen the tender process, triggering a prolonged legal dispute with Dhaya Maju LTAT.

The dispute was resolved in 2022 when both sides reached an out-of-court settlement, allowing the joint venture to be reinstated and continue the project under a new agreement.

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