PUBLISHED ONOctober 03, 2026 12:18 AMBYSean LerThe Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) is targeted to begin passenger service before Hari Raya next year, said the Republic's Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow.
Hari Raya Puasa is expected to take place around March 10 next year.
Siow's comment, posted on his Facebook on Friday (Oct 2) evening, comes after RTS Operations (RTSO) had earlier announced that system tests and trial runs are expected to take up to Dec 31 this year.
RTSO also said in its earlier announcement that it expects passenger service to commence in February 2027.
This, it said, takes into account the expected duration of the remaining works, as well as the time required for third-party safety certification and approvals from both grantors.
The project had previously been targeted to begin passenger service in early 2027.
In his post, Siow noted that Singaporeans and Malaysians have been looking forward to the completion of the landmark bilateral project.
He also noted that when operations begin, people from both sides of the Causeway will be brought closer together.
"The teams have been working hard on the project. The plan was for safety certification and licensing to have been completed before the end of this year, but it was not to be," Siow said.
He added that members of the project team from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) have worked hard to make sure that Woodlands North station is ready for the start of cross-border train services.
In a joint statement issued by LTA and the Malaysia Ministry of Transport on Friday, the two grantors said that infrastructure works in both Singapore and Malaysia are "substantially complete" and remain on track to support passenger service upon the satisfactory completion of the remaining testing and commissioning activities.
Once passenger service begins, the 4km shuttle from Woodlands North station to Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru will operate at a maximum speed of 80kmh and can accommodate up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
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