About two-thirds of civil infrastructure works on the Singapore side of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link have been completed, with passenger service slated to start by December 2026.
On the Malaysian side, the project has reached 65 per cent completion as at Dec 31, 2023.
The transport ministries of both countries said a significant construction milestone was reached at the end of December 2023, with the completion of a 17.1m-long concrete span connecting the Singapore and Malaysian ends of a rail viaduct that will run across the Strait of Johor.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met at the Strait of Johor in a ceremony to commemorate the milestone. The two leaders signed plaques symbolising the shared commitment of both countries to deliver the cross-border rail link.
When ready, the 4km rail shuttle service will carry up to 10,000 people per hour in each direction between Bukit Chagar in Johor and Woodlands North, absorbing at least 35 per cent of the human traffic at the Causeway.
According to Malaysia’s Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, the service will operate from 6am to midnight, with trains running at four-minute intervals during peak hours.
Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the RTS infrastructure is on schedule to be completed by December this year. “We are 100 per cent confident the RTS Link project will be completed and operational by Jan 1, 2027,” he added.
Fares for the upcoming rail link will be “competitive” Mr Loke said, adding that the exact prices will be set by the operator closer to the completion of the project.
Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said that in setting fares, RTS Operations, which will run the RTS Link, will consider factors such as demand, which may increase over time.
He added that other considerations include the cost of providing an efficient and reliable service, as well as the fares charged by other transport modes such as taxis, coaches and ferries.
The Straits Times
