Soon day trips to Johor Bahru in Malaysia will be a lot easier. The Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transport System (RTS) Link is slated to start passenger services by the end of 2026. The 4km rail projects connects Johor Bahru’s Bukit Chagar Station to Woodlands North Station in Singapore. As of February 2025, the project has reached a construction milestone with a completion of more than 50% overall. Here’s what we know about the new RTS Link:
Singapore – Johor Bahru RTS Link
This milestone marks significant progress in a project that aims to revolutionize cross-border travel between Malaysia and Singapore. Construction began in early 2020, with track installations started in September 2024, but the system won’t be fully operational until the end of 2026.
The new cross-border rail link is a 4km quick rail shuttle service between Bukit Chagar Station in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North Station in Singapore. It will carry up to 10,000 passenger per hour in each direct when it opens. Meanwhile, the RTS Link promises a seamless five-minute journey between the two cities, with easier immigration facilities, allowing passengers to clear both countries border checks at their departure point.
The RTS Link is designed to help congestion on the Johor Causeway. In fact, this is one of the world’s busiest land crossings used by more than 400,000 people daily. Currently, road-based travel across the Causeway often results in hours-long delays due to traffic and immigration processes.
Five-minute journeys
Delightfully, the trains will operate every four minutes from 6am to midnight during peak hours. The journey takes around five minutes between the two stations. Notably, passengers will be expected to clear immigration at the departure point.
Originally, the passenger service was set to open in December 2024 but production differences caused a six month delay in construction. Nevertheless, all travellers will soon be able to enjoy a fast travel experience between Singapore and Johor Bahru as well as quick connections to other MRT stations. Certainly, both Malaysians and Singaporeans will benefit from this faster and more reliable new rail system. Definitely, it will redefine cross-border mobility in Southeast Asia.
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