RTS Link in final testing; fare, launch date to be announced

JOHOR BAHRU – All the station and rail infrastructure on the Malaysian side of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link has been completed, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke on Aug 18.

He said the RTS Link is now in its final integration testing stages between Singapore and Malaysia before passenger service is scheduled to begin in 2027.

Asked about the fare, Loke said details of the fare and launch date would be jointly announced by the transport ministries of Malaysia and Singapore.

“As this is a bilateral project between Malaysia and Singapore, the official announcement in terms of the actual date of operation and the fare will be announced concurrently together between Malaysia and Singapore,” he told reporters.

“I can assure you the ongoing discussion is very positive, so we will finalise it, then we will make a joint announcement with my counterpart from Singapore soon,” he said on a visit to the RTS Link station at Bukit Chagar on Aug 18.

The 4km RTS Link will allow passengers to travel between Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North station in Singapore, which is linked to the MRT.

This shuttle service is expected to have a daily ridership of 40,000.

Test ride on the RTS train

Following the minister’s visit, members of the media boarded an RTS Link train for a test trip from Bukit Chagar to Woodlands North and back. Each trip took about six to eight minutes.

The train has four cars, with seats along the windows similar to those on Singapore’s MRT trains, and space for standing commuters.

At the Malaysian terminus, passengers will be able to use QR codes for faster immigration clearance through 100 e-gates installed at the Bukit Chagar Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (ICQ) facility.

At the Bukit Chagar ICQ facility, which connects to the RTS Link station, officials demonstrated the passenger flow for those travelling to Singapore. Passengers first scan their tickets at gantries in the departure hall before proceeding upstairs for baggage and body checks and immigration clearance on the Malaysian side.

At a media briefing on Aug 18, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation’s (MRT Corp) RTS Link project director Zulkifli Mohamed said passengers can expect Malaysian immigration clearance to take only “seconds” through e-gates that allow clearance using QR codes or passport scans.

Before heading to the Republic, travellers at the Bukit Chagar facility will use the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s smart lanes to clear immigration with QR codes or passport scans.

The Bukit Chagar terminus includes large, fully air-conditioned departure and arrival halls as well as family-friendly facilities such as clean and spacious nursing rooms.

An overhead passenger bridge linking the RTS Link to the JB Sentral transport node and nearby malls, including Komtar JBCC and Johor Bahru City Square mall, has also been completed.

Loke said additional works would be carried out to improve connections between the RTS Link and other public transport services in Johor Bahru.

The first involves expanding the public bus network, with 200 buses to be added on routes to nearby residential areas once the RTS Link begins operations.

A future link bridge will connect the existing overhead bridge between JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar station directly to the Keretapi Tanah Melayu station at JB Sentral, giving RTS passengers faster access to KTM services, including trains to Kuala Lumpur and the southern suburbs.

Construction of the RM60 million bridge is expected to take 12 months, Loke said. His ministry is also expanding the southern shuttle service, with 10 new train sets under way.

“When this bridge is completed, passengers who take the KTM commuter train can access the RTS Link directly without needing to walk long distances,” he said.