Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) has marked a significant milestone in Malaysia’s rail industry development with the graduation of its first batch of trainees under the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) training programme in China.
A total of 26 UniKL students from UniKL Malaysia Italy Design Institute (MIDI), UniKL British Malaysian Institute (BMI), and UniKL Malaysian French Institute (MFI) were among 66 Malaysian trainees who completed their training at Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College (LRVTC).
The graduation is part of the Batch 1 East Coast Rail Link Industrial Skills Training Programme (PLKI-ECRL) for Operations and Maintenance (O&M), an initiative jointly driven by Malaysia Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. (MRL) and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC ECRL Sdn. Bhd.), with strategic academic and training support involving UniKL institutions, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), UniKL Malaysia China Institute, the Centre for Industrial Linkages (CIL), and industry partners.
The trainees underwent specialised railway training in key technical areas, including signalling systems, Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) maintenance technology, and railway operations systems.
The programme also incorporated international internship exposure in China, enabling students to gain hands-on industrial experience within an advanced railway technology ecosystem.
This initiative reflects the growing strength of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in producing industry-ready graduates aligned with Malaysia’s infrastructure and economic development needs.
As Malaysia prepares for the expected launch of ECRL operations in 2027, the programme plays a critical role in strengthening local rail expertise in high-demand areas such as railway operations, maintenance, signalling, engineering, and technical services.
More broadly, the achievement underscores UniKL’s role as a leading TVET institution committed to developing future-ready talent through strong industry collaboration and international partnerships.
