Malaysia and Singapore governments have confirmed the Johor Bahru-Singapore Link Rapid Transit System (RTS) is on progress.
The project, which started in 2018, with an estimated cost of RM10 billion (S$3.25 billion), was scheduled to be completed by 2024. However, the repeated change of governments in Malaysia over the last 5 years has caused a lot of delay.
The RTS link is said to start operations by the end of 2026, with the foreign ministers for both Singapore and Malaysia noting the construction of the cross-border rail project is on progress, according to a statement released on Monday (Jan 16) following a meeting between Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and his Malaysian counterpart Zambry Abdul Kadir, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
“Minister Balakrishnan and Minister Zambry took stock of the Singapore-Malaysia bilateral relationship. They noted the good progress on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link project and looked forward to the commencement of passenger services by end-2026,” said the statement.
The RTS Link will connect the Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru city to Woodlands in Singapore.
This will help ease traffic congestion on the Causeway.
Malaysia’s Mass Rapid Transit Corp chief executive Mohd Zarif Hashim told local media the project was not affected by the change in government after the 2022 general election, and that construction was progressing on schedule.
“This project is a commitment from the government, as a country, we have to do it. The project is also halfway through with all the land already purchased,” he said as quoted by The Star.
Malaysia and Singapore governments signed a bilateral agreement in 2018 to build the link and complete it by 2024. But the project was suspended a number of times after the Pakatan Harapan coalition government came to power in Malaysia in 2018.
