Over the weekend, Minister for Transport S. Iswaran visited the construction site for the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and teased us with a short video on what goes on behind the scenes.
Now that engineers have begun pile caps installation works for the rail viaduct, the work is going well, shared Minister Iswaran.
According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), engineers have finished constructing a second pile cap (out of 12) which will serve as the foundation for piers to support the rail structure over land and sea.
When completed, the RTS Link viaduct will stand 25m above the water level in the middle of the Straits of Johor.
And to ensure seamless travel, it is designed to transition gradually to underground tunnels that connect to the RTS Link Woodlands North station.
A gamechanger to S’pore-Johor connectivity
Now, one of the most quintessential Singaporean things to do has to be a trip to Johor Bahru (JB).
But beyond recreation, hundreds of thousands more travel across the Causeway daily for work, turning the Straits of Johor into one of the busiest border crossings in the world.
As a result, massive jams across the Causeway, especially during weekends and festive periods, have become a rite of passage.
However, with the completion of the RTS Link at the end of 2026, the infuriating traffic will soon become a distant memory.
With the capacity to serve up to 10,000 commuters every hour in each direction, the 4km rail shuttle service will be a game changer in improving the connectivity between Singapore and JB.
Additionally, co-located Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities at Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations mean that passengers only need to clear immigration once at their point of departure.
As Minister Iswaran rightly pointed out, when passenger service begins on the RTS Link, travelling will take about five minutes in each direction.
But more importantly, this new addition is borne out of a Bilateral Agreement between the governments of Singapore and Malaysia to develop a convenient, well-connected and fast transport network to meet the needs of residents in both countries.
Of course, other than the RTS Link, Singaporeans can look forward to an expanding rail network (e.g. Jurong Region Line, Cross Island Line) and connecting to more places by train in the years ahead as part of our Land Transport Masterplan 2040.
Because as the LTA tagline goes — We keep your world moving.
Photo Sources: LTA/MOT