Johor state gov’t will get RTS Link ready for February 2027 launch, regardless of changes at transport ministry

The Johor state government says that it is continuing preparations to ensure that the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is ready for its expected February 2027 launch, regardless of any changes at the transport ministry, The Star reports.

“Based on the statement issued by the minister, we are maintaining February 2027 as the expected commencement date. At the state level, regardless of when operations begin, we will continue taking the necessary steps to prepare as scheduled,” said state works, transportation, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh.

These include plans to conduct a dry run in December to assess passenger movements and public transport arrangements ahead of the rail project commencing operations. He added that the state is also awaiting additional buses under the stage bus service transformation (SBST) programme.

Mohamad Fazli expressed hope that the resignation of transport minister Anthony Loke would not disrupt major public transport projects being implemented in Johor. “We hope that despite his resignation and the possibility of changes in the ministry’s leadership, the initiatives that we have planned and implemented together with him can continue. These projects are very important to Johor, especially those involving the RTS Link, the SBST programme and others,” he said.

In August, Loke said that the physical structures for the RTS stations and immigration, customs and quarantine (ICQ) complexes in both Malaysia and Singapore had been completed, and the project was entering its phase of testing and approvals, which would run from October to December. He added that the move to begin operations in February was to ensure that all safety measures were properly implemented.

The four-km long rail link, which connects JB’s Bukit Chagar to Singapore’s Woodlands North, will utilise driverless train sets that have a maximum capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour per way. Daily ridership is anticipated to be about 40,000 passengers when operations begin.

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