Dr Wee Ka Siong, Malaysia’s Transport Minister, said on Monday (March 14) that progress on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is at nearly 10 per cent. The Minister made this remark in a speech in Parliament.
“Presently, the progress of work for the RTS project has reached almost 10 per cent, where the land acquisition process has already been completed and the infrastructure design has also been finalised,” he said, adding,“Currently groundwork, movement of utilities and piling works are underway.”
The groundbreaking ceremony for the RTS Link connecting Singapore to Johor was held on Nov 22 of last year. The project is set to cut travel time between the two neighbouring areas to five minutes.
The link will connect Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru to Woodlands North station in Singapore.
The link is perceived to be an important solution to persistent traffic problems on the Causeway between Singapore and Malaysia, which is used by around 300,000 people daily, the majority of whom are Malaysians who commute to Singapore to work.
The RTS link has the capacity to transport around 10,000 passengers each way, which would serve to greatly lessen traffic congestion problems on the Causeway.
The project is budgeted to cost RM10 billion (S$3.24 billion). Malaysia will be providing RM3.716 billion for the project. Singapore will shoulder the remaining 61 per cent.
According to Malaysia Rapid Transit System (MRTS) chief executive Mohd Zarif Hashim, “Forty per cent of the total infrastructure construction cost will be allocated to Bumiputera contractors, including those from Grade 1 to Grade 6 from Johor.”
Dr Wee has also said that construction will take place in two phases, the first being the development and civil phase that will occur from 2021 to the end of 2024, and then the commissioning and testing phase, which will occur from 2025 through the end of 2026.
Dr Wee also said in his speech that the Malaysian Transport Ministry is preparing for initial discussions with Singapore regarding reviving the terminated KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project in the next few months.
CNA quotes the Minister as saying, “As for the HSR Project, MOT has been given the responsibility to initiate discussions with the Government of Singapore on the new terms, and discussions are still at an early stage.
At this point, the ministry is prepared to hold preliminary talks with Singapore in the second quarter of this year,” he added. /TISG
M’sia begins construction of S’pore-Johor RTS Link; project cuts travel time to 5 mins