\n<\/p>\n
Plans for the RTS Link were first announced in 2010 as a joint project between Singapore and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
The two countries signed a legally binding agreement in January 2018, with the project initially slated for completion by Dec 31, 2024.<\/p>\n
That deadline was subsequently pushed back after several milestones were missed and the project was suspended in April 2019 at Malaysia’s request to allow it to review the project.<\/p>\n
Work officially resumed in July 2020, with several key changes to the project, including a change to the depot on the Malaysian side.<\/p>\n
The rail link also shifted to a standalone Light Rail Transit system instead of leveraging Singapore’s Thomson-East Coast Line MRT system as initially planned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The project completed its first test run in December 2025. In mid-August this year, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the station and rail infrastructure on his country\u2019s side were completed, and the final testing phase was ongoing.<\/p>\n Authorities hope the new rail link will ease traffic conditions on the Causeway, which is one of the world’s busiest border crossings.<\/p>\n It is also expected to have a significant impact on the economic front, shaping consumer spending, tourism flows and business competitiveness in the retail and F&B sectors.<\/span><\/p>\n A study commissioned by the Singapore Business Federation, Restaurant Association of Singapore and Singapore Retailers Association projected that Singapore residents would spend S$1.05 billion (US$810 million) more a year in Johor Bahru once the RTS Link opens.<\/p>\n Johor Bahru visitors, in comparison, are expected to spend S$756 million more in Singapore annually.<\/p>\n The study also projected a 51 per cent increase in outbound trips by Singapore consumers, adding 11.2 million Singapore-to-Johor Bahru round trips a year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n