Kenyan workers at the construction site of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway, contracted by China Communications Construction Company Co Ltd. [Photo provided to China Daily]

KUALA LUMPUR - A total of 180 sub-contractors have shown interest in the 55 billion ringgit ($13 billion) East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which will be led by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

The project owner Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) said in statement Monday that it has embarked on a road show since Sunday to reach out to Malaysian subcontractors in the East Coast states and Selangor, and some 180 applicants had submitted documents during the Pre-Qualification (Pre-Q) exercise on Sunday.

The CCCC, the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contractor of ECRL, will select the qualified local subcontractors in the Pre-Q exercise and have them shortlisted to tender for work packages in the project.

MRL's chief executive officer Darwis Abdul Razak said, the Pre-Q exercise was timely as MRL is progressing smoothly in the land acquisition processes in the East Coast states, and have also started soil investigation on several sizeable sites prior to civil works taking shape.

According to the statement, full-scale site clearing on multiple areas along the ECRL alignment would commence in early 2018.

"We trust qualified local subcontractors would actively participate in the Pre-Q exercise and tap into the vast opportunities under the ECRL project. Ample packages such as earthworks, formation works, drainage works, foundation works, building works and tunneling works would certainly generate interest among the subcontractors," Darwis said.

He is also optimistic that the participation of local players will facilitate the construction of the ECRL.

In line with the Malaysian government's commitment for local players to participate in the ECRL, a roadshow has been set up in four state capitals from Oct 15 to 23.

The 688-km rail that stretches from Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan to Port Klang in Selangor is set to shorten the travelling time between Malaysia's East and West from seven to 12 hours to less than four hours.