KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — Passenger fares for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) have not been finalised and an official announcement will be made by the end of this year, said Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL).

MRL said in a statement on the ECRL Facebook page today that a recently recirculated information on social media regarding the passenger fares is inaccurate and has never been verified by any authority.

The company said the official passenger fares for the ECRL will only be announced by the Ministry of Transport Malaysia once the relevant evaluation and approval processes are finalised.

MRL advised the public against making any assumptions or conclusions based on unverified information, and to instead refer to announcements made through official channels of the Ministry of Transport, MRL, and ECRL.

"The ECRL fares will be determined after taking into account the public interest, user affordability, as well as the value and quality of services to be offered,” it said.

MRL said that once operational, travel time between Kota Bharu and Gombak is expected to take around four hours, Kuala Terengganu to Gombak about three hours, and Kuantan to Gombak approximately one hour and 35 minutes.

"The ECRL not only offers a new transport option for the public, but will also transform mobility between the East Coast and the Klang Valley,” it said.

The first phase of the ECRL from Kota Bharu to Gombak is expected to begin operations this December. — Bernama