Malaysians and Singaporeans alike were upset when plans to proceed with building the RTS link between Singapore and Johor were derailed because Malaysia would like to be “allowed time to review its finances.”
Source: Straits Times
Fortunately, that no longer seems to be the case as PM Tun Dr Mahathir just released a statement yesterday (17th October) saying that Malaysia will proceed with the development of the 4km Singapore to Johor Bharu rail line!
Source: Taxi Singapore
According to Asia One, PM Mahathir gave the green light for the Rapid Transit System (RTS) after Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, said that details of the project will be decided by the Malaysian Cabinet in two weeks.
Tun M says, “We will proceed with the RTS but we will take some time.”
The RTS line is said to connect Johor Bharu’s Bukit Chagar Station to the Woodlands North Station in Singapore that is currently being developed!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The development of the easy access commute system would reduce the notorious congestion faced by commuters who travel regularly across the border as it is able to carry up to 10,000 passengers each direction, EVERY HOUR. Yay, no more traffic jams!
Following a source from the Straits Times, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng already said that the Malaysian government “intends to proceed” with the RTS link during his presentation of Budget 2020 last week.
The minister went on to add that it is purposed to present “a longer-term solution to address congestion.” Currently, more than 300,000 Malaysians use the existing two Johor land links with Singapore.
Source: Straits Times
But if everything goes according to plan, the new RTS could be ready for use as soon as 2025! Straits Times reports that the previous “operational date” was supposed to start on December 2024 but that was assuming that the actual construction of the line would begin in 2019.
However, discussion about the ticket pricing for the convenient rail link is still underway. Mr Loke said that the original plan to set the one-way fare at S$4.90 (RM15) was too costly for Malaysians who had to use the RTS every day for the daily work commute.
The sooner this transport system goes up, the better! Let’s hope it puts the horrible congestion at the causeway behind us, for good.
Also read: New MRT Service Connecting Johor to Singapore to Start in December 2024
