The RTS Link is a 4-kilometre rail shuttle service between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru, with a peak capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Passengers will enjoy a fast and seamless travel experience between Singapore and Johor Bahru on the RTS Link, with a train journey time of about five minutes between the two stations.
2. The CIQ facilities of Singapore and Malaysia will be co-located at the Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations. Hence, passengers only need to clear immigration authorities at their point of departure. When the RTS Link commences passenger service at the end of 2026, it will significantly improve connectivity between Singapore and Johor Bahru, and help to ease congestion along the Causeway.
3. Construction works for the CIQ building, tunnels and viaduct started in 2021. Works in Singapore are progressing well, with about two-thirds of the overall civil infrastructure works completed to date.
4. In March 2023, Singapore commemorated the completion of the final concrete casting of the pile cap for Pier 48, which is the pier on the Singapore side located closest to Malaysia. This milestone marked the completion of the second of 12 pile caps, to provide the foundation for the piers that will be constructed to support the rail viaduct structure that will cross the Straits of Johor.
Completion of connecting span
5. On 11 January 2024, the Prime Ministers of Singapore and Malaysia, His Excellency Mr Lee Hsien Loong and YAB Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim, met at the Straits of Johor to commemorate the completion of the connecting span.
6. The 17.1-metre long connecting span is a reinforced concrete structure that spans Malaysia’s Pier 47 and Singapore’s Pier 48, and connects the RTS Link marine viaduct from both sides. Weighing about 340 tonnes, the connecting span was constructed using steel support structures at more than 26 metres above sea level.
Update on construction progress
7. All 12 pile caps, which form the foundation for the piers supporting the 730-metre RTS Link marine and land viaduct on the Singapore side, have been completed. Construction of the piers as well as the launch of viaduct segments are ongoing.
8. The viaduct will connect through underground tunnels to the RTS Link Woodlands North station, which is being constructed at a maximum depth of 28 metres. The CIQ building will have three storeys, with two basement levels. An underground Basement 3 linkway will connect the CIQ building to the station. Construction of the linkway has been completed and the remaining works are progressing well.
9. The total gross floor area of the RTS Link Woodlands North station and CIQ building is approximately 10 times the size of a typical MRT station. These will be seamlessly connected to the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Woodlands North MRT station via an underground concourse. The CIQ building is designed to BCA’s Green Mark Platinum Certification, with energy saving equipment incorporated into its design and operations. These include features such as LED lighting, solar panels and a hybrid cooling system.
10. After civil infrastructure works are completed, they will be handed over to RTS Operations Pte Ltd to carry out the installation works for the RTS Link rail systems. RTS Operations Pte Ltd is a joint venture company formed between Prasarana Malaysia Berhad and SMRT Corporation Ltd to operate the RTS Link service.
