Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System

Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System
RTS
Overview
Type	Cross-border rapid transit
System	Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
Status	Architectural and engineering consultancy studies
Locale	Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Woodlands, Singapore
Termini	Bukit Chagar RTS station Woodlands North MRT/RTS station
Stations	2
Services	1
Operation
Planned opening	December 2024 (2024-12)[1]
Owner	InfraCo[2] Land Transport Authority Prasarana
Operator(s)	OpCo[3] RTS Link (Prasarana SMRT JV)[4] [5] 30 years concession period
Character	Elevated & Underground Elevated
Depot(s)	Mandai Bukit Chagar
Rolling stock	7 four-car trainsets Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CSR Qingdao Sifang CT251
Technical
Line length	4.2 km (2.6 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC Third Rail
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)

Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS proposed route network
to Pulau Sebang/Tampin or Tumpat Bukit Chagar Light Maintenance Facility  RTS  Bukit Chagar  BRT   KTM  Johor Bahru Sentral  ETS   BRT  Straits of Johor Malaysia Singapore international border  KTM  Woodlands Train Checkpoint  TE1  RTS  Woodlands North  TEL   NSL   TE2  NS9  Woodlands to Sungai Bedok Mandai Depot
Co-located CIQ

The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System or Singapore–Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS Link) is a underway cross-border rapid transit system that would connect Woodlands, Singapore and Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia, crossing the Straits of Johor.^[6]

The rapid transit system will have two stations, with the Singapore terminus located at Woodlands North MRT/RTS station and the Malaysia terminus located at Bukit Chagar RTS station. Both stations will have co-located Singaporean and Malaysian customs, immigration and quarantine facilities.^[7]

When built, it will be the second rail link between the two countries after KTM Intercity's Tebrau Shuttle, and the first high-capacity inter-national metro system to be built.^[8]

History

The idea of a Mass Rapid Transit between Singapore and Johor Bahru was first suggested in 1991 when then Singapore Minister for Communications Mah Bow Tan said that the Woodlands MRT line, now part of the North South MRT line, would be designed to accommodate such an extension. The idea was endorsed and agreed to in principle by both countries.^[9]

The rapid transit system was then revisited two decades later and proposed during the Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat on 24 May 2010. The RTS would link Tanjung Puteri, Johor Bahru and Singapore, aiming to ease traffic congestion on the Johor–Singapore Causeway and enhance connectivity between the two countries. It was targeted to be operational by 2018.^[10][11]

In June 2011, Singapore informed Malaysia that the rail link will be a northern extension of Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 1, which will start at Woodlands North MRT/RTS station.^[12]

A tender was called in November 2011 to conduct design and engineering study on the RTS link, which aimed to determine the technical parameters and options for the alignment and proposals for the system. A consortium of Aecom Perunding, Aecom Singapore and SA Architects subsequently won the tender.^[13][14] The first part of a preliminary engineering study was completed in March 2014.^[15]

In September 2014, the Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad announced that Malaysia had chosen Bukit Chagar as its terminating station, over Tanjung Puteri, JB Sentral 1 and JB Sentral 2. The terminal would have its own Customs and Immigration clearance facilities, separate from the existing facilities at Sultan Iskandar Building. He also mentioned that Singapore had given no indication of the final alignment of the link from a total of three options.^[16] Singapore's Ministry of Transport then responded that they were unable to finalise the alignment of the crossing as there was no confirmation of the location of Malaysia’s RTS terminus.^[17]

At a joint news conference between Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak held on 13 December 2016, it was announced that the link will adopt the Thomson–East Coast MRT line's (TEL) system including the four core TEL systems — trains, signalling system, communication system and Integrated Supervisory Control System in order to reap economies of scale. A high-bridge crossing was chosen for the RTS to cross the Straits of Johor. The link would be operated by a corporate entity and its fare would be market-based and set by the operator as well.^[13]

At the 13th meeting of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia in July 2017, officials from both countries announced that the link would start operating by Dec 31, 2024 and that they have agreed to jointly appoint an operating company to run and maintain the RTS operating systems, including its trains, tracks and signalling system. Singapore's SMRT Corporation and Malaysia's Prasarana Malaysia were appointed as operators for the link by the respective governments and both were negotiating terms for the joint venture which would have a first concession period of 30 years. Each government would also appoint an infrastructure company to fund, build, own, maintain and upgrade the civil infrastructure and stations in their own countries. Daily shuttle train service from Woodlands train checkpoint to Johor Baru would also cease operating after the RTS Link opens.^[1] However, according to Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, CEO of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, the completion date is targeted for 2022.^[18]

However, in August 2017, the Sultan of Johor Ibrahim Ismail expressed serious reservations on the proposed design of the rail track, citing that the overall curve-shaped design and height would disrupt the city skyline along the Johor Straits. He also questioned the need for both countries to engage separate contractors to build portions of the link in their respective countries and the involvement of Prasarana Malaysia in the joint operating company with SMRT Corporation instead of the Johor state government. As such, he wanted the overall plan to be reviewed to ensure that it would be "logical, economical and sustainable".^[19][20]

A memorandum of understanding between SMRT Corporation and Prasarana Malaysia was signed in September 2017 to form a joint venture company to operate the link. Details such as control of the operating company were yet to be worked out.^[21]

On 16 January 2018, Singapore and Malaysia signed a bilateral agreement on the project. Signed by Singapore's Transport Minister and Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure Khaw Boon Wan and Malaysia's Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan. It was witnessed by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak during the 8th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat, the agreement finalised certain aspects of the project, including its maintenance facilities, operator, and customs facilities.^[22] Construction of the 4km link is set to begin in 2019.

After the Malaysian general election, 2018, despite efforts to reduce the national debt, Malaysia's new Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook mentioned in end-May 2018 that Malaysia remains committed to the project but the Ministry of Finance would be looking at ways to reduce the cost of the project.^[23] However, in mid-July 2018, Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament that Singapore had not heard anything official from the new Malaysian government despite Loke's comments. A joint operating company between Singapore's SMRT Corporation and Malaysia's Prasarana Malaysia was supposed to be incorporated by June 30, 2018 but did not occur either as discussions between the two companies were suspended after Malaysia's general election.^[9]

In end-July 2018, Malaysia Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook expressed hope that the project would proceed as planned and that the Malaysian cabinet has given in-principle approval to the project but are still looking into the cost and other details. He also mentioned that the issue of compensation did not apply as the joint operating company was not set up yet. A working paper on the project would be presented to the cabinet soon and the joint operating company would be set up once the full approval is given by the cabinet. Despite the delay, he said that the project would still be completed on time by 2024.^[24][25]

On 13 October 2018, it was reported by Chinese Daily in Singapore (Zaobao.com) that LTA has already called for tender in end September 2018 for construction of a 1.1km tunnel and overhead bridge to Johor. Construction is scheduled to begin in the middle of 2019.^[26]

Stations

See also

• Thomson–East Coast MRT
• Iskandar Malaysia BRT

References