For enhancing connectivity and benefitting thousands of people who commute between Singapore and Johor daily, a Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will be constructed to connect Woodlands and Johor Baru via a high bridge across Straits of Johor.
The joint announcement was made by Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak, with the two leaders also announcing 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”.
A joint statement by the two leaders stated that 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 Baru 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.