No delay on Rapid Transit System link progress

The Ministry of Transport has refuted Malaysian news reports that Singapore is delaying progress on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) connecting Johor Baru and Woodlands, reported The Straits Times. "The suggestion that Singapore has been delaying progress on the RTS link is incorrect," a ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

The spokesman added, "Singapore informed Malaysia in June 2011 that the RTS terminus in Singapore would be located at Woodlands North near Republic Polytechnic. However, to date, Singapore has not received official confirmation of the location of Malaysia's RTS terminus in Johor Baru. Only upon confirmation of the location of the terminus can both countries proceed to finalise the alignment of the crossing between Johor Baru and Singapore."

Malaysian media reports have quoted Johor State Executive Committee Member for Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Datuk Hasni Mohammad as saying that Singapore is holding back on deciding the alignment for the RTS link.

The RTS, which will connect Johor Baru to the Thomson-East Coast MRT line (TEL), is set for completion by 2018. Earlier reports said the Johor terminal could be in Bukit Chagar, Tanjung Puteri or JB Sentral. In Singapore, the terminal is set to be near Republic Polytechnic in Woodlands and was to be operational by 2019.

The 31-station TEL will serve estates in the northern, central and eastern parts of Singapore, and run from Woodlands to Sungei Bedok.