How a one-month buffer and JB transport upgrades will prepare commuters for the RTS Link

JOHOR BAHRU – A one-month pushback for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is being welcomed by Malaysian officials as a convenient buffer to ensure flawless operations.

Furthermore, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke brushed off concerns over further delays to the RTS Link after its launch was pushed back by a month to February 2027.

At an event at JB Sentral on Oct 8, Loke said the project could have met its original January 2027 deadline, with infrastructure works substantially completed. The remaining work involves final testing and approvals by Malaysian and Singaporean authorities.

“Actually the decision to announce it for February is a buffer, we could push it earlier to January but we have a buffer, to ensure that all the processes are done smoothly,” Loke said.

However, he said he could not give an exact operational date as it depended on approvals from Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA).

He said the project was in a “critical phase” of testing and commissioning, including signalling and systems integration, before being submitted to APAD for approval on Dec 30.

“We will give you an exact date when the approvals are given, but in terms of the time frame we are quite confident it will be February,” said Loke.

Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke addressing the invited guests at JB Sentral on Oct 8.

ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Even as transport negotiations progress smoothly, questions remain over Loke’s political future and his position in the Cabinet.

On Sept 19, Loke said he would resign over the decision to allow former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. Najib is serving a reduced sentence following his conviction in the SRC International case linked to the 1MDB scandal.

After submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Loke said it would only take effect when Najib returns home to begin house arrest.

Asked whether his resignation could affect the RTS Link’s completion, Loke said: “This has nothing to do with my resignation. The work goes on.

“As far as the RTS Link is concerned, the work is done by the contractors and the team. Of course, we (the Transport Ministry) make policy decisions and assessments of the project but it would not impact in terms of the timeline,” said Loke.

“As far as we are concerned, both the operator RTSO, and Singapore and Malaysia, have come to a conclusion, and I communicated with Singapore’s Transport Minister that February is a comfortable timeline.”

RTS Operations (RTSO), the company appointed to operate the cross-border rail service, said on Oct 2 that passenger service would begin in February 2027, citing the time required for third-party safety certification and approvals from Singapore’s LTA and Malaysia’s Transport Ministry.

The two authorities said the same day that they would continue working with RTSO to facilitate the safe delivery of the project.

Transport enhancements for Johor Bahru

 Buses at the JB Sentral Bus Terminal along Jalan Jim Quee, Johor Bahru which is set to be out of bounds for private vehicle access on Dec 20.

ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Loke also announced transport enhancements for Johor Bahru, including a new public transport hub along Jalan Jim Quee near the RTS Link’s Bukit Chagar terminus.

Jalan Jim Quee, a street between JB Sentral and the Sultan Iskandar Building’s Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex, will be closed to private vehicles from Dec 20, said Johor state councillor for transportation and infrastructure, Fazli Mohamad Salleh. This is earlier than the previously announced 2027 timeline.

Loke said 20 bus bays would be provided along the road, up from 11 currently.

The state’s BAS.MY fleet, operated by Handal Indah, will also be expanded from 162 to 230 vehicles.

“People in Johor say, how can I take the bus when there aren’t many buses, and operators would say, how can we have more buses when not many people take the bus,” Fazli said in his speech regarding the bus fleet expansion.

“It’s a chicken-and-egg problem,” he said.

The RTS Link is also set to receive its own shuttle bus service under Johor’s Bus Muafakat Johor scheme which is free for Malaysians, while foreigners have to purchase a pass.

Johor Public Transport Corporation chief executive Mohd Fa’iz Salehon said the service will connect Bukit Chagar station with Mid Valley Southkey, Kota Jaya, R&F Mall and the Sheraton Johor Bahru hotel.

“There will be three buses for the park and ride shuttle with a frequency of around 10 minutes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Johor state executive councillor Lee Ting Han said the added time allows the state government to fine-tune its traffic improvements ahead of the RTS launch.

“The positive side is that the infrastructure is already substantially completed and this is a relatively short delay, not a major setback,” said Lee, who is in charge of trade and investment.

“For Johor, we should use this additional time to ensure traffic management, public transport and last-mile connectivity around Bukit Chagar are fully ready.”

Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony at the media doorstop at JB Sentral on Oct 8.

ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry and Singapore’s LTA said on Oct 2 that infrastructure works on the 4km link between Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North stations were “substantially complete and remain on track”.

The revised timeline is subject to RTSO obtaining independent safety certification and final regulatory approvals.

A visit by The Straits Times to Bukit Chagar station on Oct 8 found that most infrastructure, including immigration facilities, had been completed. Facade works and facilities such as drop-off points and carparks were still being finished.

RTS Link project director Zulkifli Mohamed of MRT Corp told ST, when met at the station, that the infrastructure was ready for passenger service, with miscellaneous works expected to be completed by November.

“We see the immigration, customs and quarantine facilities complete and the relevant agencies moving in to set up their operations, which is a major milestone for us,” he said.

“Now all that’s left is the train.”