Works for JB-Singapore RTS Link Are 65% Completed, On Track for Passenger Service by End 2026

Works for JB-Singapore RTS Link Are 65% Completed, On Track for Passenger Service by End 2026. (Image: LTA)

Construction works of the Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link have crossed another milestone, with around 65 per cent completion for both Singapore and Malaysia sides, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore said on Thursday (Jan 11).

When completed in 2026, the RTS Link will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands North in Singapore, facilitating passenger commutes between countries with a peak capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

Updates on the Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System Link

Completion of Connecting Span for the JB-Singapore RTS Link Project

“Delighted to join PM Anwar Ibrahim at the ceremony to commemorate the completion of the RTS Link connecting span!” (Image: Lim Sin Thai via Lee Hsien Loong/Facebook)

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met at the RTS Link marine viaduct site in the Straits of Johor on Thursday to commemorate the completion of the connecting span.

Both prime ministers signed commemorative plaques symbolising a shared commitment to deliver the cross-border rail project to further improve connectivity between the two countries.

Constructed with high precision using steel support structures and hydraulic jacks, the connecting span is a 17.1-metre-long and 340-tonne reinforced concrete structure that links Malaysia’s Pier 47 and Singapore’s Pier 48, erected at over 26 metres above sea level.

The joint statement by both transport ministries said prolonged direct exposure to the weather and carrying out installation works requiring millimetre precision under strong wind conditions presented an added challenge.

They added that these marine works had to be monitored closely to ensure that they were being carried out safely and in a timely manner.

Construction Progress for the JB-Singapore RTS Link Project

Level B1: Singapore Customs, Immigration, Quarantine (CIQ) facilities. (Screengrab: LTA/YouTube)

LTA said the overall civil infrastructure works in Singapore, such as the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) building, tunnels and viaducts, which started in 2021, are progressing well.

At approximately 10 times the size of a typical MRT station, the CIQ building of the RTS Link will have three storeys and two basement levels, said LTA.

The CIQ building is designed per the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Certification, with energy-saving equipment incorporated into its design and operations, including LED lighting, solar panels, and a hybrid cooling system.

Level B1: Linkway to Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) station and Exit B. (Screengrab: LTA/YouTube)

Both the CIQ building and the Woodlands North RTS Link station will be connected to the Woodlands North MRT station of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) via an underground concourse.

LTA added that all 12 pile caps on Singapore’s side, which form the foundation for piers supporting the viaduct on land and sea, are completed, with the construction of the piers and the launch of viaduct segments ongoing.

When civil infrastructure works are completed, installation works for the rail systems will be carried out by the RTS Link operator, RTS Operations Pte Ltd, a joint venture by Singapore’s SMRT Corporation Ltd and Malaysia’s Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.

The RTS Link is targeted to commence passenger service by December 2026.

Check Out Other Related Posts

LTA Publishes Virtual Tour of the RTS Link Project, Showcases Woodlands North Station

CBTC Signalling System To Be Utilised for Singapore-Johor Bahru RTS Link

Independent Agent Appointed for Certifying Safety of the RTS Link Project

Related Links
Network – SGTrains

External Links
Factsheet: Updates on the Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System Link – LTA [Accessed 12 Jan 2024]
“Today, we mark another milestone for the Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (#RTS) Link: the completion of the connecting span of the marine viaduct between Singapore and Malaysia! ?️?” – LTA/Facebook [Accessed 12 Jan 2024]
Prime Ministers of Singapore and Malaysia Commemorate the Completion of the Connecting Span for the Construction of the Johor Bahru – Singapore RTS Link Project – MOT [Accessed 12 Jan 2024]

Images: LTA, Lim Sin Thai via Lee Hsien Loong/Facebook, Screengrab from LTA/YouTube.
This article first appeared on SGTrains.