SEREMBAN: The rerouting of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will see Negri Sembilan as an important transportation hub in the central region, reports Nanyang Siang Pau.

The Chinese daily said the rerouting of the ECRL could also see a station in Labu.

It was reported that the reason Labu was chosen was because most of the land there was owned by government-linked Sime Darby Bhd.

This could help to reduce the government's large amount of land acquisition work.

It reported that Labu could also serve as the integrated transportation hub for the Malaysia Vision Valley 2.0.

The daily said with Labu's proximity to KLIA in Sepang and with the railway linking to Port Klang, it would make Labu an important hub.

The postponed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail was supposed to have a station in Labu.

With the realignment of ECRL, the railway would enter Negri Sembilan from Muahzam Shah in Pahang, while Bentong and Gombak stations will be "sacrificed", the daily reported.

Earlier, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the negotiation of the ECRL project will be concluded before Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad heads to China's Belt and Road summit from April 24 to 28.

The ECRL became a topic during a ceramah for the Rantau polls when Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng dropped a hint last Friday (April 5) that the rail line could be rerouted, benefiting Negri Sembilan.

At a ceramah in Bandar Ekar, Rantau, Loke said "once the negotiation is finalised, the ECRL will benefit the development of Negri Sembilan".

The 688km ECRL from Port Klang to Gombak and onwards to Kuantan and Pengkalan Kubor, was put on hold after Pakatan Harapan came into power last year.

In an interview with The Star recently, Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) chairman Tun Daim Zainuddin said the project was close to being finalised with just some minor details to be sorted out.