SINGAPORE — Frequent travellers between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur cheered at the prospect of a high-speed rail link, which promises to be faster than the current alternatives on offer if waiting times are factored in.

However, they felt that price, comfort and the location of the train station would serve as important considerations when deciding on their mode of commute.

Mdm Casey Pearl Lim, who drives to Malaysia for business every week, said she was excited about the new service and would try it at least once.

“But in the long run, I think driving will still be more convenient for me, as like the buses and flights that are currently available, they do not take me directly to where I need to go,” the 50-year-old said.

Comfort was on the mind of sales manager Patricia Chan, who travels to KL about once a month with her elderly parents.

“My parents are older and I currently choose to fly because it is the fastest way,” she said.

Currently, it takes up to eight hours by train and about five hours by express bus to travel between the two cities. The 315km journey by road takes some four hours, while flights take 45 minutes, excluding airport check-in and transfers to the city which some say take hours.

The high-speed rail link could take “a mere 90 minutes” from door to door, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said yesterday.

Aviation analyst Prithpal Singh felt the new high-speed rail link will not put a damper on air travel, with the impact only known after the frequency, schedule and capacity of the trains are determined. “There will be a dip, but I believe it will reach equilibrium after some time, they will be able to co-exist,” he said.

Mr J Kalaiyarasan, Director of Operations at Odyssey Prestige Coaches, which has been running shuttles between Singapore and KL since 2007, is worried about the potential impact on his business.

“We currently already have a wide range of amenities; I do not know what else we can add on,” he said. Sumita Sreedharan