Potential benefit of HSR and ECRL to the people living nearby.

High Speed Railway (HSR) is the government's project delivery vehicle to connect Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru with Singapore. Singapore and Malaysia had officially agreed to build a HSR link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by 2020. The project that aims to facilitate a travel between the two capital cities, connecting the people between two country and enhancing the business linkage of Malaysia and Singapore. 

 In Malaysia,we are now moving forward to plan high-speed railway(HSR) that give the  opportunity to create entirely new townships around the seven stations on the Malaysian side – Bandar Malaysia (KL), Putra­jaya (and by extension, southern Selangor), Seremban, Ayer Keroh (Malacca), Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri (all in Johor). There are many spin-off benefits in terms of development potential around the terminus in Singapore and also in Malaysia. In Malaysia, they are building it in Bandar Malaysia, and in Singapore, we are doing it in the Jurong Lake District. There will be indirect benefits to businesses which can take advantage of this convenience and therefore flourish and grow in both territories.

If you look at Taipei and Kaoshiung in Taiwan or Shanghai and Nanjing in China, two cities are connected together and both cities benefit. There is more competition, more business to be done. This means vitality and a wide variety of options and a more rapid pace of progress. I see this as a very positive project and it is a major undertaking that will cost quite a lot on both sides and we have to get it right. If we do, it will be a lasting and strategic contribution.

As we can see a lot of benefits of HSR has the ability to compress geographical distances, and with that, change entirely how people live, work and play.

When you bring cities closer together, they start acting like a large single entity. In this case, HSR is able to overcome physical distance by shortening travel times. For the development of the HSR, could also reduce the size of farming land, affecting food supply .The HSR will further enhance the GDP growth of intermediate cities such as Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar and Batu Pahat when managed properly in tandem with the availability of HSR.Other benefit of high speed rail is delivers fast, efficient transportation so riders can save time, energy, and money. HSR is extremely reliable and operates in all weather conditions. HSR is not subject to congestion, so it operates on schedule every day without delay - especially during rush hour and peak travel times. Coupled with the cross-border MRT link between Singapore and Johor Baru, the high-speed rail would ease traffic congestion at the borders of both countries.

The line would also bring about significant economic benefits. Businesses could take advantage of the improved accessibility, while areas around the high-speed rail stations will become more attractive to developers.
In other side,HSR spurs the revitalization of cities by encouraging high density, mixed-use real estate development around the stations. HSR also fosters economic development in second-tier cities along train routes. HSR links cities together into integrated regions that can then function as a single stronger economy. HSR broadens labor markets and offers workers a wider network of employers to choose from. HSR encourages and enables the development of technology clusters with fast easy access between locations. HSR also expands visitor markets and tourism while increasing visitor spending. HSR will lower ouf foreign trade deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars each year from purchasing foreign oil.  
The many benefits HSR delivers spread throughout regions that have HSR, encouraging economic development across a large area. 

Besides that,the proposed East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) project announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak in Budget 2017 spells good news for residents in Terengganu.

The 600-kilometre project from Kuala Lumpur to Tumpat, Kelantan costing RM55 billion which would cut across Terengganu is expected to impact positively on the local economic and social sectors.

Dungun parliamentary development officer Din Adam told Bernama when contacted that the ECRL would serve as an alternative mode of transport for the people, whereby they could have the benefit of comfortable and shorter time travel compared to land transport .The ECRL would boost Dungun's potential towards creating more growth centres for new towns in the district. Dungun, as Terengganu's learning and higher education hub will capitalise on this opportunity to further rejuvenate the economic and tourism sectors, which will indirectly create more employment opportunities.

New growth centres will indirectly enhance property value and the socio-economy of the residents and gross domestic product (GDP) of three east coast states was projected to grow by 1.5 per cent with the implementation of the ECRL.

On behalf of Dungun residents, I thank the federal government's commitment to this project for the well-being of the people in the long run.. the ECRL would spur economic growth for small and medium industries especially in Kemaman and Besut.This is because,the train service will smoothen the traffic congestion in the industrial areas at Paka and Kertih area especially during the peak hours mainly in the morning and evening traffic.

This project will benefit more than 22,514 active SMIs in the state. The vast economic impact is expected to expand with a socio-economic plan that takes into account, ECRL stations to be constructed in the areas around.

This project will provide major economic benefits such as employment and opportunities for growth in the tourism and construction industries, and food and retail sectors.

It will also serve as a catalyst for rapid economic development in east coast states particularly Terengganu and the surrounding areas.