RTS Link Woodlands North Station Completed, Cross-Border Rail on Track for 2027 Opening

The milestone was announced by the Land Transport Authority in a Facebook post on 4 September, keeping the Johor Bahru to Singapore RTS Link on track to begin operations in 2027.

The 4km RTS Link is a bilateral project connecting Singapore and Malaysia. It will allow passengers to travel between Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North station in Singapore, which is linked to the MRT in about five minutes.

The shuttle service is expected to have a daily ridership of 40,000. During peak periods, the RTS Link can carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction, said LTA.

According to LTA’s website, the Woodlands North station is constructed underground at a maximum depth of 28m. There are three storeys, with two basement levels and an underground linkway to the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine building.

Passengers on the Thomson-East Coast Line can transfer to the RTS Link at the TEL Woodlands North station at Basement 1. The arrival hall is also at Basement 1, as is the ticketing concourse, which features artwork with icons symbolising nature, science, friendship and heritage.

Security checks will be carried out at the immigration halls before travellers head to the train platforms for departure, LTA said. The viaduct on which the cross-border train runs has a feature depicting clasping hands, symbolising the partnership between Singapore and Malaysia.

The colours and design of the pick-up and drop-off point were inspired by trees, incorporating what LTA called the Woodlands identity of nature.

LTA said the station’s foundation was challenging to build owing to the high volume of hard rock at the site.

To minimise the vibrations felt by passengers on the Thomson-East Coast Line, LTA used high-capacity drilling machines and carried out more than 600 instances of rock blasting. These blasts were carried out in small, controlled quantities whenever trains left the station.

In August, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said all the station and rail infrastructure on the Malaysian side of the RTS Link had been completed. He said then that the RTS Link was in its final integration testing stages between Singapore and Malaysia.

When asked, Loke said details of the fare and launch date would be jointly announced by both countries’ transport ministries. Neither has been confirmed as at the time of the LTA announcement.