JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia — The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link may have only two stations and a 4km route, but getting the cross-border railway ready for passengers involves far more complex engineering work than its short distance suggests.
RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO) chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Marzuki Ariffin highlighted several of those challenges on Tuesday (Oct 6), days after the operator announced that passenger services would be pushed back to February 2027.
In a post reflecting on the project, Marzuki said the railway involves two countries, two stations and one sea crossing, but requires multiple systems to operate together seamlessly before passengers can safely use it.
Why a 4km railway is taking so much testing
The RTS Link will connect Woodlands North station in Singapore with Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru.
The journey itself is expected to take only about five minutes, with trains operating at speeds of up to 80kmh. The system is designed to carry as many as 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
But Marzuki said the apparent simplicity of the route does not reflect the engineering involved.
“The trains, tracks, signalling systems and infrastructure must work together seamlessly,” he said in his post.
The project therefore requires extensive testing and coordination between Malaysian and Singaporean teams before it can enter passenger service.
RTSO has said all system tests and trial runs are targeted for completion by Dec 31, 2026, followed by third-party safety certification and approvals from both countries.
The hidden challenge: a 3% gradient
One of the engineering challenges that passengers may never notice is the gradient of the elevated railway.
Marzuki said the viaduct has a 3 per cent gradient, which is the maximum slope allowed for train operations on the RTS Link.
Trains travelling along this section will descend from the highest point of the bridge towards ground level before reaching Woodlands North station.
The train therefore needs to maintain a safe speed while descending and then stop smoothly and accurately at the station.
That requires careful coordination between the track design, braking systems and signalling systems, Marzuki explained.
For passengers, the descent may simply feel like a normal part of the journey. For engineers, however, it is a section that requires extensive testing to ensure the train responds predictably under different operating conditions.
Rain creates another complication
The tropical weather in both Johor and Singapore presents another challenge.
Rain can reduce the grip between train wheels and rails, potentially affecting how quickly a train accelerates or brakes.
This becomes particularly important when trains are travelling downhill, where braking performance must be carefully controlled.
Marzuki said thorough testing is therefore needed to make sure the system remains safe and reliable under different weather conditions.
The testing is not limited to the trains themselves. The track, signalling, braking and other railway systems must operate together as one integrated system.
Why the February 2027 opening was announced
The latest explanation comes after RTSO announced on Oct 2 that passenger services are now expected to begin in February 2027, rather than by the end of 2026.
RTSO said the remaining works, system testing and trial runs are expected to continue until the end of December.
After that, the project will still require third-party safety certification and approvals from the governments of Malaysia and Singapore before passengers can board the trains.
Singapore Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow previously said the original plan had been to complete safety certification and licensing before the end of 2026, but that timeline would not be met.
The current aim is to begin passenger service before Hari Raya Puasa, which is expected on March 10, 2027.
RTSO has not described Marzuki’s engineering reflections as a direct explanation for the delay. Instead, his comments provide a look at the amount of testing and coordination required before the system can be declared ready.
More than just trains and tracks
The RTS Link is not simply a railway connecting two stations.
It is a cross-border transport system that requires the infrastructure and operating arrangements on both sides of the Causeway to function together.
At Bukit Chagar, passengers will go through ticketing, security screening and immigration before reaching the platform.
The station is equipped with 18 luggage scanners and nine body scanners, while Malaysia’s immigration area will have about two dozen automated gates. Singapore immigration facilities will also be located within the station before passengers proceed to the train.
A joint monitoring room will allow Malaysian and Singaporean officers to work together on security incidents, while RTSO will operate control centres on both sides of the border.
Marzuki previously told reporters that having two operations control centres would allow problems to be addressed quickly across the two countries.
The project is also about cross-border coordination
The RTS Link is jointly operated by RTS Operations, a venture involving Singapore’s SMRT Corporation and Malaysia’s Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.
The civil infrastructure on the Malaysian side is being developed and owned by MRT Corp, while Singapore’s Land Transport Authority is responsible for the Singapore section.
Marzuki thanked the engineers and project teams from both countries for their work, as well as Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), Singapore’s LTA, MRT Corp, SMRT and Prasarana.
He described the cooperation as a “One Team” effort to bring the connection into operation.
Marzuki himself has more than 25 years of experience across public transportation, rail, engineering and other sectors. He became RTSO’s chief executive in January 2023.
A five-minute journey designed to ease the Causeway
Once operational, the RTS Link is expected to offer a much faster alternative to crossing the Causeway by road during busy periods.
The rail journey between Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North is expected to take around five minutes.
Passengers will complete immigration and customs formalities at their departure station, rather than undergoing another immigration clearance immediately after arriving on the other side.
That could significantly change how people travel between Johor Bahru and Singapore, particularly for workers, shoppers and visitors who currently rely heavily on the Causeway.
The economic impact could also be substantial.
A study commissioned by the Singapore Business Federation, Restaurant Association of Singapore and Singapore Retailers Association projected that Singaporeans could spend an additional S$1.05 billion annually on retail and food-and-beverage purchases in Johor Bahru after the RTS Link opens.
Johor businesses could meanwhile gain an estimated S$756 million annually from visitors from Singapore.
Fares are expected to be around S$5 to S$7 per trip, according to Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The final countdown is now underway
The RTS Link has entered its final testing and commissioning phase, but several steps remain before the first paying passengers can board.
The operator’s current target is to complete all system tests and trial runs by the end of December 2026.
After that, safety certification and regulatory approvals must be secured before passenger service can begin.
For commuters who have been waiting for the long-promised alternative to the congested Causeway, the February 2027 target represents another delay — but Marzuki’s comments underline why the final stages cannot simply be rushed.
A five-minute journey between two stations may look simple on a map.
Making that five-minute journey safe, reliable and seamless across two countries is a considerably bigger engineering task.
