MISSED MILESTONES, PROJECT SUSPENSION
Plans for the RTS Link were first announced in 2010 as a joint project between Singapore and Malaysia.
The two countries signed a legally binding agreement in January 2018, with the project initially slated for completion by Dec 31, 2024.
That deadline was subsequently pushed back after several milestones were missed and the project was suspended in April 2019 at Malaysia’s request to allow it to review the project.
Work officially resumed in July 2020, with several key changes to the project, including a change to the depot on the Malaysian side.
The rail link also shifted to a standalone Light Rail Transit system instead of leveraging Singapore’s Thomson-East Coast Line MRT system as initially planned.
The project completed its first test run in December 2025. In mid-August this year, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the station and rail infrastructure on his country’s side were completed, and the final testing phase was ongoing.
Authorities hope the new rail link will ease traffic conditions on the Causeway, which is one of the world’s busiest border crossings.
It is also expected to have a significant impact on the economic front, shaping consumer spending, tourism flows and business competitiveness in the retail and F&B sectors.
A study commissioned by the Singapore Business Federation, Restaurant Association of Singapore and Singapore Retailers Association projected that Singapore residents would spend S$1.05 billion (US$810 million) more a year in Johor Bahru once the RTS Link opens.
Johor Bahru visitors, in comparison, are expected to spend S$756 million more in Singapore annually.
The study also projected a 51 per cent increase in outbound trips by Singapore consumers, adding 11.2 million Singapore-to-Johor Bahru round trips a year.
Trips in the other direction are expected to grow by 3.3 million.