Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the government is “open” to connecting the ECRL to Thailand’s existing or planned rail infrastructure.

Thailand plans to build two ports to bypass Malaysia’s most lucrative shipping route (through the Malacca Strait).

“The relationship between Malaysia and Thailand is not a zero-sum game,” Loke told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Both countries face “political and economic” challenges that can be tackled together, and one area of cooperation being cross-border connectivity, he added.

The ECRL project, which will connect Malaysia’s west and east coasts, is expected to be completed by 2027. Its last stop under the current alignment is Kota Bharu, about 40km from the Thai border.

Thailand’s planned US$28.5 billion (RM131 billion) Chumphon-Ranong Land Bridge project will see the country build two new ports at both of its coasts – providing a new trade route that potentially bypasses the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest and home to three major Malaysian ports.

Loke said the impact of the land bridge is expected to be limited to Malaysia’s northernmost major port of Penang. Its two biggest ports in Klang and Johor Bahru are not expected to be affected.

“This project might take 15 years to implement – if it is started,” he said.