The Larut Rail Tunnel is the rail tunnel being constructed in Malaysia. It is located in Bukit Berapit near Bukit Gantang

Bukit Gantang

Bukit Gantang is a small town and parliament constituency in Perak, Malaysia.Bukit Gantang is famous for its durian orchard. One of the longest train tunnels in Malaysia could also be found in this hilly area.-See also:...

, Perak

Perak

Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...

, Malaysia. It will become the longest rail tunnel in South East Asia.

History

Construction of the tunnel was started in 2008 by a joint venture

Joint venture

A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...

 of MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC is an investment holding company with interests in "Transport & Logistics, Energy & Utilities and Engineering & Construction".In Transport and Logistics, MMC holds equity stakes in the Port of Tanjung Pelepas , and In Energy and Utilities, MMC holds equity stakes in MMC is an investment...

 and Gamuda Berhad

Gamuda Berhad

Gamuda Berhad is an engineering, property and infrastructure company in Malaysia.The company was incorporated on October 6, 1976 and was listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia on 10 August 1992...

 as part of their electrified double tracking project

Railway electrification in Malaysia

Railway electrification comprised a single system in geographical areas of Malaysia.-Rawang-Ipoh:The double-tracking and electrification of 179 km of the main West Coast line will enable KTMB to run trains at a maximum speed of 160 km/h between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh...

 between Ipoh

Ipoh

Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....

 and Padang Besar and is expected to complete by 2013.