RC Asia Engineering Sdn. Bhd. has been nominated for Engineering Excellence in Transport at the Transport Expo Asia (TXA) Awards 2026 for its work on the Perlis Inland Port (PIP) rail container yard. The project combines approximately 3.7 kilometres of railway track, five turnouts and a signalling control system to support freight movements at Malaysia’s northern border.
Building a Rail Freight Gateway
Based in Petaling Jaya, RC Asia began operations in 1996 as JLJY Rel Care Enterprise, providing railway track engineering support to Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) for track upgrading and rehabilitation projects. Its expertise includes track construction, rehabilitation, turnout installation, thermite welding and railway signalling.
In October 2023, RC Asia was appointed to construct the PIP container yard trackworks under a RM12.4 million subcontract. In March 2025, its scope was expanded to include a signalling control system worth RM2.8 million.
Located in Lembah Chuping near the Thai border, PIP was developed to replace the Padang Besar Cargo Terminal, which had reached its maximum capacity. Connected to KTMB’s network through a dedicated spur line, the port is designed to facilitate rail freight movements between Malaysia, Thailand and onward to China.
Engineering Precision and Technical Coordination
The yard comprises three main lines totalling approximately 3.7 kilometres, alongside a 42-metre dead-end line for locomotive movements. Construction involved several layers, including formation preparation, geotextile, sand, sub-ballast, ballast, concrete sleepers and rail installation, followed by welding, tamping and track alignment.
Specialist components were sourced from several manufacturers. The five turnouts were manufactured by CARS (Beijing) Railway Equipment Technology, while electric point machines were supplied by AZD Praha of the Czech Republic. Rails came from Pangang Group in China, and concrete sleepers were produced by Hume Concrete in Beranang.
The signalling system also had to comply with KTMB’s operating requirements. RC Asia appointed MARO Rail Engineering Sdn. Bhd. as the signalling specialist, with design work by Asterbit Solution and Services and technical oversight by Perunding Eagles Engineering Sdn. Bhd.
Supporting Freight Capacity and Operational Resilience
PIP’s first phase has an annual capacity of 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). During its first four and a half months of full operation, the port handled 100,000 TEU.
The yard’s signalling system allows more than one train to operate within the facility at a time. Eight shunt signals and a relay-based control panel enable operators to manage train movements and monitor point positions from a single location.
RC Asia also prepared operating instructions for KTMB staff covering train movements, manual point operation during power failures and restricted operating procedures during flooding.
Testing and Quality Assurance
On 18 September 2025, RC Asia conducted a rollover trial using a locomotive with a 16-tonne axle load. Two runs were completed on each line at 25 kilometres per hour to test the track under load. The trial was witnessed by Citaglobal Engineering Services Sdn. Bhd., the main contractor, and Perlis Inland Port Sdn. Bhd., the port operator, and was recorded as successful.
Quality assurance included testing railway materials, inspecting concrete sleeper production, assessing thermite welds and conducting factory acceptance tests for turnouts and the buffer stop.
During KTMB’s signalling control panel review in April 2026, issues were raised concerning signal displays, point position indications and the detection of points that had not locked. RC Asia reported completing the necessary corrections by 30 April 2026 and committed to responding to signalling defects within 72 hours during the defects liability period.
Advancing Malaysia’s Rail Freight Connectivity
Perlis Inland Port is designed t facilitate container freight movements between Malaysia and Thailand, with onwards connections to China.
RC Asia continues to contribute to national rail development. In 2026, it was appointed as a subcontractor for formation, track and associated works between Bukit Badak and Klang under the Klang Valley Double Track Phase 2 project.
As a finalist for Engineering Excellence in Transport at the TXA Awards 2026, RC Asia demonstrates how railway construction, signalling integration and systematic testing contribute to freight infrastructure development. Its work at Perlis Inland Port highlights the importance of engineering precision and operational readiness in supporting Malaysia’s regional rail connectivity.
