RTS Link security exercise at Woodlands North station

SINGAPORE – More than 600 personnel from various agencies took part in an emergency-preparedness exercise on Nov 11 and 12 at the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Woodlands North station.

The two-day Exercise Quicksilver 12 aimed to assess the operational readiness, response capabilities and inter-agency coordination in managing public security incidents at the station ahead of the RTS Link opening, the police said in a statement on Nov 14.

The RTS Link, which can carry more than 600 passengers a train, will connect Singapore’s Woodlands North station to Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru, with a journey time of about five minutes.

It is expected to open in February 2027, according to a joint statement by the RTS Operations, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport on Oct 2.

Exercise Quicksilver 12 involved a series of simulated security incidents to test the coordination, decision-making and deployment efficiency of the participating agencies and stakeholders.

Personnel from the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), LTA, Certis Cisco and SMRT took part.

During the exercise, SPF officers responded to a simulated hostage situation at the station through checks on suspicious luggage and patrols.

Through discussion and coordination with ICA officers, an arrest was made to resolve the simulated emergency.

The SCDF was also mobilised to extinguish a burning vehicle using a water jet.

“Such exercises underscore the agencies’ collective commitment to safeguarding public safety and security, particularly at critical transport infrastructure,” said the police.

“The SPF will continue to work closely with relevant government agencies and key stakeholders to strengthen inter-agency coordination, enhance operational preparedness and ensure a swift, coordinated and effective response to public security incidents,” it added.

Earlier in October, a joint cross-border field training exercise was held at the Wadi Hana RTS Link depot in Johor Bahru, involving security, border protection and civil defence agencies from Singapore and Malaysia.

The exercise covered joint firefighting, medical triage, casualty evacuation and cross-border emergency response, according to a joint statement by Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Malaysia’s National Security Council.

“With the (RTS Link’s) capacity to serve up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction, ensuring the safety and security of RTS Link passengers, infrastructure and operations is a shared priority for both countries,” the statement said.