The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is one of the most anticipated infrastructure projects in southern Johor — a cross-border rail line designed to ease the notorious congestion between the two sides of the Strait of Johor.
The line runs between Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North station in Singapore, where it connects to Singapore's Thomson-East Coast MRT line. The route is short — roughly four kilometres of twin track crossing the strait on an elevated bridge — but its impact could be significant. The journey between the two stations is expected to take just five minutes.
Capacity is the project's main promise. At peak, the RTS Link is designed to carry up to around 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Ridership is projected to start at roughly 40,000 passengers a day and scale up toward 140,000 daily over the longer term. For the tens of thousands who cross the JB-Singapore land checkpoints each day, that offers a faster, more predictable alternative to road traffic.
On the opening date, official targets have pointed to passenger service by the end of 2026, with trial running having begun in late 2025. However, more recent reporting has flagged the possibility that full passenger service could slip into early 2027 as systems testing continues. For now, the most accurate framing is that the line is targeted to open by end-2026, with a modest risk of an early-2027 start.
The RTS Link complements the broader Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, which aims to deepen cross-border economic ties. Together, the two projects underline how closely Johor's future is tied to its connectivity with Singapore — a theme that resonates with voters across the state as it heads into the 2026 election.
