On 18 April 2018, Singapore’s Transport Minister Mr Khaw Boon Wan gave an update of the progress of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, after visiting the sites at the Woodlands North station in Singapore as well as the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru. Mr Khaw wrote about the RTS Link that, “When completed in 2024, it should be the preferred mode of transport for commuters crossing the Johor Strait.”, noting that the trip between the two stations takes just five minutes. The RTS will be run by a joint venture formed by rail operators SMRT and Prasarana Malaysia, for the first concession of 30 years. The line will start with five trains, and gradually have a total fleet of seven trains. Once the RTS is operational, up to 10,000 passengers can travel in each direction per hour. Commuters will be able to transfer from the RTS station to the up-coming Thomson-East Coast Line concourse via an underground link, without needing to exit the station. There is even a joint customs, immigration and quarantine facility at both terminus stations, which means greater ease for residents of developments nearby, who shuttle between the two countries as they will only need to clear customs and immigration only once when departing from their respective countries.
