PETALING JAYA (Jan 16): The Johor Bahru-Singapore rapid transit system (RTS) link passenger service is targeted to commence operation by Dec 31, 2024, according to a joint statement by the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore at the 8th Singapore-Malaysia Leader’s Retreat today.

The cross-border rail agreement — the second such deal by both countries in as many years, following the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high speed rail (HSR) one — which was inked today records the technical, safety and security requirements, commercial, financing, procurement and regulatory frameworks, as well as customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) arrangements for the RTS link.

“When completed, the RTS link will improve connectivity, deepen people-to-people ties and stimulate economic growth in Singapore and Johor. To facilitate commuter flow, there will be co-located CIQ arrangements similar to the HSR at each RTS link station in Bukit Chagar (Malaysia) and Woodlands North (Singapore), hence passengers will only need to undergo CIQ clearance at their point of departure,” said both Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Lee Hsien Loong in the statement.

Moreover, they said that the RTS link stations will be well-integrated within the local public transport networks of both countries.

According to a report by The Straits Times, the RTS link will be operated by a joint-venture company by SMRT Corp Ltd and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd for a concession period of 30 years.

The service will see trains arriving every eight minutes on average, while during peak hours this will be sped up to four minutes on average.

The link will initially comprise five trains and ultimately increase to seven, ferrying up to 10,000 passengers per hour.

Following the commencement of the RTS link passenger service, all KTMB railway services in Singapore will eventually stop within six months.