Southeast Asia's Longest Railway Tunnel is in Taiping

Construction of the twin-bore railway tunnel began on October 4, 2009, by the project developer, MMC-Gamuda JV.

The Ipoh to Padang Besar electrified double-track project made history as this 2,893-meter twin-bore tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in Southeast Asia. All tunnel safety equipment is managed by a system called the Tunnel Monitoring Control System located at the South portal. The twin tunnel is built with two tubes, connected by emergency passages, and constructed at 350-meter cross-intervals. There are nine emergency passages built within the tunnel with a platform width of 3 meters. The purpose is to transport passengers to a safe location in the event of an emergency. The twin-bore tunnel located in Taiping, Perak, has been recognized as the longest railway tunnel in Southeast Asia.

This twin tunnel has become a component of the national infrastructure project, the Ipoh to Padang Besar Electrified Double Track Project (PLBE). This project is under the lead company, MMC-GAMUDA Joint Venture (MMC-GAMUDA JV).

Its construction is on par with developed nations, allowing trains to reach speeds of 140 km/h. It is built in a horseshoe shape measuring 9 m (height) x 9 m (width).

The tunnel was constructed using controlled drill and blast methods under hills, cut-and-cover in open areas, and micro-tunneling beneath the North-South Expressway (PLUS) and Federal Roads.