Singapore terminus for high-speed rail will be at Jurong East

SINGAPORE – The Singapore terminus for the high-speed rail linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will be sited at Jurong East.

This was announced today (May 5) by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong following the annual Leaders’ Retreat with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Mr Lee, however, said the original 2020 timeline to complete the high-speed rail link was unrealistic, adding that the two countries hoped to reach an agreement by year-end on when the trains would start running.

A statement today said that the target may need to be re-assessed given the scale and complexity of the project.

Jurong East was chosen as it “dovetails with Singapore’s overall plans to transform the area into its second Central Business District”, according to a statement.

Details of the high speed rail have been hotly anticipated since Mr Lee and Mr Najib agreed in 2013 to build the link, which would cut travel time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to 90 minutes.

The project has been coveted by the Chinese and Japanese railway companies, which have been ramping up efforts to win contracts overseas. WITH REUTERS