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PETALING JAYA: The RM3.7 billion Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project was officially launched today.
It will reduce the time between Johor Bahru and Singapore to just five minutes once it is operational in late 2026.
RTS will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru with Woodlands in Singapore.
Developed by Malaysia Rapid Transit System Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of MRT Corp, the 4 km light rail link will be able to serve up to 10,000 travelers per hour during peak periods.
Its 150,000 daily passengers will account for almost half of the total number of daily travelers between the two countries.
The project was launched today by the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar to coincide with his birthday.
The actual opening ceremony, held at the project site for the future Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (ICQ) building, was officiated by the Sultan practically from Istana Bukit Serene.
According to a statement posted on the ruler’s Facebook page, RTS Link is expected to change Johor’s public transportation landscape and bring huge socio-economic benefits to Johor and the rest of the country.
“The project will further strengthen the economic, political and social ties between Malaysia and Singapore,” he added.
Construction work, costing RM2 million, on the project is scheduled to begin later this month.
At a press conference after the project was launched, MRT Corp CEO Mohd Zarif Mohd Hashim said that the civil structures for the project will take four years to build.
Another two years will be spent installing the systems and testing operations.
Zarif said the project will create 1,500 jobs and support another 15,000 jobs, and that 40% of the total infrastructure construction cost (RM800 million) will be allocated to Bumiputera contractors, including Grade 1 contractors. to Grade 6 from Johor.
Zarif explained that Malaysia’s share of the development cost of the RTS Link Project was RM3.7 billion, which included the cost of the land, the construction of a station in Bukit Chagar, a depot in Wadi Hana and viaducts through the center. from Johor city. Bahru and over the Johor Strait to the border between Malaysia and Singapore.
The cost also included the construction of a four-story Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex in Bukit Chagar.
This facility will be part of a transit-oriented development where there will also be a multimodal transportation hub and a mixed-ownership development.
Zarif also said that he did not expect project progress to be hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, as MRT Corp had similar experience handling the ongoing construction of the Putrajaya MRT line (formerly known as the Sungai MRT line. Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya).
“We already have SOPs in place. We will ensure that construction and economic activities do not stop during the pandemic, ”he said.
Speaking at the launch of the event, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said his ministry was committed to ensuring the project was completed in time for 2026.
Ayer’s deputy Hitam was also confident that RTS would boost Johor’s economic growth, as well as strengthen its tourism and real estate sectors.
