According to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project is nearly 10% complete.
He stated that the land acquisition procedure had been completed, that the infrastructure design had also been finalised, and that earthworks, utility diversion, and piling construction were already underway.
“The Ministry of Transport is giving full attention to the implementation of these mega projects,” he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address on behalf of his ministry at Dewan Rakyat on the 14th of March.
The RTS connection is a four-kilometre cross-border rail project that connects the Singapore terminal at Woodlands North station to the Malaysian terminal at Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru.
It will be capable of transporting 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Wee stated that the ministry was tasked with holding discussions with the Singapore government under new terms for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, adding that the discussions were still in the early stages.
He stated that the ministry was planning to hold preliminary talks with Singapore in the second quarter of this year.
“In line with the Prime Minister’s visit to Thailand on the 25th of February, the ministry is also exploring possibilities of conducting an HSR feasibility study from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok,” he said.
Meanwhile, he stated that the physical development of the Gemas-Johor Bahru Railway Electrified Double-Tracking project was currently at 82.5%, acknowledging that there was a delay due to the COVID-19.
“For the Electric Train Service (ETS) project for the Gemas-Johor Bahru line, the ministry is in the process of finalising the Final Design Review which is expected to be completed by the end of March and the procurement of the ETS set is expected to be completed in September 2024,“ he said.
