The current re-negotiations on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) may see its construction price pegged at RM50mil to RM60mil per km as well as a commitment by the Chinese government to buy Malaysian palm oil and bring in projects, according to sources.
據消息人士稱，目前東岸鐵路（ECRL）的重新談判可能會看到，該鐵路的建設價格定在每公里5千萬至6千萬令吉之間，中國政府承諾購買馬來西亞棕櫚油並引進項目。
This means that the construction of the 688-km long ECRL, suspended last July after the new government found irregularities in the terms of the “lopsided” contract, would cost between RM34.4bil and RM41.3bil.
這意味著，在新政府發現“不平衡”合同條款存在違規行為後，去年7月暫停的688公里長的ECRL的建設將耗資34.4億令吉至41.3億令吉。
According to a source with technical know-how, China and Malaysia have agreed to this pricing: Constructing a rail track on normal terrain is about RM50mil per km; and for tunnelling at the Main Range and areas with challenging soil condition, the cost can be raised up to RM60mil per km.
據掌握技術訣竅的人士透露，中國和馬來西亞已同意該定價：在正常地形上修建鐵路軌道約為每公里5千萬令吉；在主要範圍和土壤條件有挑戰的地區進行隧道開挖，成本可提高至每公里60百萬令吉。
Last Friday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng hinted that the ECRL could cost RM36bil, down from about RM55bil announced in 2016 by the previous administration and RM81bil estimated by the present government.
上週五，財政部長Lim Guan Eng暗示，ECRL可能會花費36bil令吉，低於前任政府2016年宣佈的55bil令吉和現任政府估計的81bil令吉。
Daim, also Malaysia’s former finance minister, told reporters last month: “We are almost there. Just need to tighten the screws here and there.”
馬來西亞前財政部長戴姆（Daim）上個月對記者說：“我們就快到了。只需要到處擰緊螺絲就行了。”
One source close to the Malaysian negotiating team tells StarBiz that for the price to be lower, the ECRL will adopt single-tracking and not double-tracking, as the passenger and freight traffic flow is expected to be low due to sparse population and low investments in the states of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
一位接近馬來西亞談判團隊的消息人士告訴Starbiz，為了降低價格，ECRL將採用單軌，而不是雙軌，因為在Pahang、Terengganu和Kelantan州的人口稀少和投資較低，預計客貨運流量將較低。
A single-track railway is a railway where trains travelling in both directions share the same track. A double-track railway involves running one track in each direction. The cheaper single track is for lesser-used lines.
單軌鐵路是一種雙向列車共用同一軌道的鐵路。雙軌鐵路是指在每個方向上運行一條軌道。較便宜的單軌鐵路是為使用較少的線路。
The ECRL is of strategic importance to China because by using the Kuantan Port-ECRL-Port Klang route, its trading route and time to the west of Peninsular Malaysia could be cut short and there is no need to use Singapore Port.
ECRL對中國具有戰略意義，因為通過使用關丹港ECRL港口-巴朗航線，可以縮短其通往馬來西亞半島西部的貿易航線和時間，不需要使用新加坡港口。
The project will also benefit Malaysia as it will spur tourism and economic growth in the East Coast states.
該項目還將使馬來西亞受益，因為它將刺激東海岸國家的旅遊業和經濟增長。
Touted as a game changer for Malaysia, the ECRL is expected to reduce travel time from Gombak (in Selangor) to Kota Baru (in Kelantan) to under four hours, from 8-12 hours at present.
ECRL被吹捧為馬來西亞的遊戲改變者，預計它將把岡巴克（雪蘭莪）到科塔巴魯（吉蘭丹）的旅行時間從目前的8-12小時縮短到4小時以下。
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