Rapid Transit System link to connect Woodlands and JB via high bridge

PUTRAJAYA — The proposed Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will connect Woodlands and Johor Baru via a high bridge across the Straits of Johor, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Tuesday (Dec 13) following a leaders’ retreat with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The two leaders also announced that a bilateral agreement on the RTS Link could be signed by the end of next year.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Mr Najib said a high bridge was the “most cost effective solution” while Mr Lee noted that a “major point” of the discussions was on the various options including a tunnel or a low bridge. Mr Lee said: “We’ve settled on a high-bridge crossing... that clears the way for us to work towards a bilateral agreement.”

A joint statement by the two leaders said the RTS will be operated by a “corporate entity”, and fares will be market-based and set by the operator. The governments will not regulate the fares, they added.

The RTS Link will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore where passengers can transfer to the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). The link will use four core TEL systems — trains, signalling system, communication system and Integrated Supervisory Control System- for economies of scale. The 43km TEL is scheduled to open in stages from 2019.

When completed, the RTS Link will improve connectivity and reduce congestion at the border crossings of Malaysia and Singapore, the two leaders noted.