Petronas Kuantan-Kerteh Rail Link

The development of a critical rail link to Kuantan Port has taken a step further. Qualified contractors have been invited to submit their bids for third package under the dedicated rail link between Kerteh and Kuantan Port.

The package consists of the construction of yards, buildings and workshop equipment will foster especially for the development of petrochemical industries.

Petronas, the national oil corporation has acquired the land from the private landowners and the respective state government for the development of the project.

The 72-km single-track line will link Kerteh Petrochemical Complex in Terengganu with Kuantan Port in Pahang with a direct connection to Gebeng Industrial Estate.

The rail link will cross five mukims (districts) in Kemaman (Kerteh, Kemasik, Ulu Chukai, Binjai and Banggul) in Terengganu and Sg Karang in Pahang.

The affected 359 landowners in the rail line development project will be compensated for the acquired land.

Kuantan-Kerteh rail line is expected to strengthen the transportation link between Gebeng and Kerteh as well as enhance the petrochemical linkages between Pahang and Terengganu.

Petronas, a major investor in the number of petrochemical ventures in both the states, also recognises the need for a good container port like Kuantan Port to be linked by rail to handle traffic generated from the petrochemical ventures.

It is estimated that from the Kerteh Petrochemical Integrated complex about 2.8 million tonnes of various cargoes like ammonia, acetic acid, PVC, VCM, paraxylene, benzene, ethylene and propylene will be generated.

The Kerteh-Kuantan rail line is expected to handle about 35-40 TEUs of cargo per day. In the initial stage two diesel locomotives and 24 flat container wagons are expected to be deployed in the single track twice a day.

The line also will have added features like sub line to Kemaman Port in Terengganu at the 33 km from the Kerteh Petrochemical Complex.

A second sub line from the main track will branch out at the 66 km to the Gebeng Industrial Estate. The rail link to the planned 2000-acre Gebeng Industrial Estate IV is expected to be a major attraction to new petrochemical giant to locate their plant at the industrial estate.

Kuantan Port has identified 43.9 acres for the line preparation and the line sliding at the container terminal.