JOHOR BAHRU (April 18): Construction works on the 192-kilometre Gemas-Johor Bahru double tracking (PLBEGJB) project is now 37 percent complete, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said the RM8.9 billion project is expected to be fully completed by October 2021 as the Electric Train Service is scheduled to begin operation in early 2022.

“As many as 324 obstacles which included houses, buildings and places of worship were identified along the route and these buildings will have to be moved or demolished to make way for the rail project.

"To date, 191 of the obstacles have been resolved and we are in the process of deciding whether to move or demolish the remaining 133 obstacles," he told reporters after a briefing on the PLBEGJB project with elected representatives at Kempas Baru project site here today.

Loke said the Government had taken various approaches to resolve issues over the removal of the buildings including compensating the parties involved with gifts.

He said the briefing with elected representatives involved in the project, was a good opportunity for them to be aware of the project status.

"We hope to settle matters over the obstacles as soon as possible. I have instructed all involved to handle the transfer settlement with tact to avoid any problem from cropping especially when it concerns places of worship" he said.

PLBEGJB is a project under the Transport Ministry which will be pass through 11 stations including Segamat, Kluang, Labis, Bekok, Paloh, Renggam, Layang-Layang, Mengkibol, Kulai and Kempas Baru.

Once the project is completed, a trip from KL Sentral to JB Sentral will take three hours and 30 minutes.