Confirmed: JB-SG MRT Line to Start Construction in Jan 2021 & Operational by End-2026

The wait is over.

There is finally a concrete timeline put into place for the building and completion of the SG-JB MRT.

Reader Bao: Wait, wasn’t it confirmed and flipped prata a couple of times already?

Well, yeah, but this time, an agreement was signed.

Reader Bao: Oh.

Confirmed: JB-SG MRT Line to Start Construction in Jan 2021 & Operational by End-2026

On 30 Jul 2020, the causeway between Singapore and Malaysia suddenly had a lot of people again.

No, not because the borders are open; that’s only going to happen on 10 Aug 2020.

It’s because two very powerful people from two different countries met up to see their subordinates sign a very special contract: The agreement to resume work on the JB-SG RTS Link project.

The agreement is very comprehensive and complicated so if you’re expecting us to tell you exactly what’s in it, you can swipe out of this article right now.

But, if you’re a simple person like the cats in Goody Feed’s office, we can tell you roughly what you need to know.

• The most important point: Construction will start in Jan 2021; Passenger service (meaning, RTS starts to ferry paying passengers) is targetted to start on end-2026.
• Singapore’s SMRT RTS Pte Ltd and Malaysia’s Prasarana RTS Operations Sdn Bhd will set up RTS Operations Pte Ltd to operate the MRT for the first 30 years (concession period)
• RTS Operations Pte Ltd (the joint venture) will design, build, and finance everything the RTS Link needs, including trains, railway tracks and the system itself.
• The joint venture company will maintain the railway between Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore.
• Fares will be determined by RTS Operations and revealed nearer to the start of passenger service.

Other important things to note about the SG-JB MRT is that it’s not called the MRT.

Instead, it’ll be a “standalone Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system” instead of being integrated into the Thomson-East Coast Line MRT System.

The JB-SG LRT aims to serve up to 10,000 passengers per hour each way.

PM Lee: Work Can Now Start

If you’re thinking, finally, it’s starting, don’t worry, you’re not the only one.

PM Lee told reporters that after all the many things that contributed to the delay, “work can now start”.

“It’s been delayed for some time, partly because of the political changes and transitions in Malaysia, partly because of projects, partly because of COVID-19. But whatever it is, we’ve now settled the details, signed the agreements and work can now start.”

He added that the RTS project is a “valuable and constructive project” as it helps ease congestion along the Causeway and bring about more convenience to Singaporeans looking to go into JB to unwind and Malaysians coming into Singapore to work or study.

In case you’ve missed it, the Transport Minister is no longer Hui Ge, but Mr Daniel Dae – I mean, Mr Ong Ye Kung.

When asked whether another change in Malaysia’s political sphere will cause another delay, he merely replied that Singapore will work with whichever government is in power and believes in abiding by agreements, and hope that their partners will share the same beliefs.

In other words, no matter who is in charge, we’ll just do the same thing we did during the water dispute back then.

Update On SG-KL MRT

For those living in the west and hoping for a 45-minute trip to Kuala Lumpur…

…there’s also been an update on the matter.

According to the man of the hour himself, PM Lee, Malaysia and Singapore have reached an agreement to defer the project until the end of the year (2020).

He added that Singapore and Malaysia are now discussing the project, at the moment of him speaking to reporters, the ball is in Singapore’s court.

Malaysia has proposed some changes to the project and Singapore is now thinking and analysing the proposed changes before they’ll get back to them to discuss further.

As for his personal stance, he hopes the HSR will come true:

“I hope we’ll be able to work something out because the basic thought behind it – that Singapore and Malaysia are two major economies and Singapore and Kuala Lumpur particularly are two cities where there’s a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and the more we can make it convenient, I think the more business we can do and the closer the two territories will be.”

Whelp, if you’re hoping the HSR is not just another unfinished project, you might rest easy now knowing Singapore’s most powerful man supports that idea too.

With that said, how often would you travel to JB or KL if it’s less than an hour away?

By the way, the entire ceremony was live streamed on PM Lee’s Facebook Page:

And of course, you’d be reminded of this scene from Crash Landing on You:

Both videos have made some people cried, don’t they?