The Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project between Singapore and Malaysia in Johor held its groundbreaking ceremony at the Bukit Chagar station site on 22nd November 2020 with His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, Malaysian Minister of Transport Wee Ka Siong, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Ir. Hasni Mohammad and other government officials who virtually participated in the ceremony.
17,000 Jobs are Expected to be Created
Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim, Chief Executive Officer of MRT Corp Sdn Bhd, said the project would directly generate 1,500 job opportunities. At the same time, the completed Bukit Chagar station is expected to add another 15,000 jobs.
The jobs include support jobs such as food and beverage services, entertainment, and the project will also have the development of a duty-free zone at Bukit Chagar, a four-storey Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
Four Kilometre Route
The RTS Link will travel from Bukit Chagar over a four-kilometer stretch that passes through central Johor Bahru and across the Tebrau Strait and end at Woodlands North in Singapore.
Costs?
As part of a joint venture between the governments of both countries, Malaysia will pay an estimated RM3.7 billion for the construction of the station, the depot at Wadi Hana, the viaducts through the city center of Johor Bahru, and over the Johor Straits to the Malaysian-Singapore border. It is understood that for its part, Singapore will pay approximately RM7 billion for the project.
Speed, Capacity and Fares
Using four cars per set, the RTS Connection will run, with peak waiting times estimated to be every 3.6 minutes, while non-peak hours are every six minutes.
As the transportation capacity is built to handle 10,000 passengers per hour, it is targeted to carry a minimum of 150,000 passengers per day, almost half of the number of regular passengers commuting between Johor and Singapore using the Causeway.
Secretary-General Datuk Isham Ishak of the Transport Ministry added that ticket pricing is yet to be concluded as the Malaysian government is still carrying out assessments and promises it would be affordable to encourage the public to use the facility.
Completion Time
Civil structure is estimated to be completed in four years and two years for system installation and for operation for it to be ready. RTS will be expected to go live on 31st December 2026.
