Two years ago, Singapore and Malaysia signed a bilateral agreement to build a cross-border MRT line that will let commuters travel between Woodlands North and Johor Baru.
The service will be able to ferry around 10,000 passengers in each direction, every hour.
Singaporeans and Malaysians celebrated at the thought of a jam-free journey across the border, which was scheduled to begin in 2024.
But it’s 2020 and construction of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) hasn’t even begun.
Since the two countries inked the agreement, work on the project has been suspended and extended three times, at Malaysia’s request, according to CNA.
The latest extension is until 31 July, which is over a week away.
Fortunately, it looks like construction on the project will finally start, and if it does, we could have our RTS by the end of 2026.
But, construction will not start in Nov 2020 as previously mentioned by the head of Johor, Hasni Mohammad.
Although you don’t see us complaining since it felt like the construction will never start.
JB-SG MRT Confirmed to Start Construction from Jan 2021 & Be Ready by End-2026
Singapore and Malaysia are set to finalise agreements for the RTS project to proceed in a signing ceremony on 30 July, said Malaysian Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong.
The ceremony will be held at the causeway and will be witnessed by the prime ministers of both countries.
But construction won’t begin in July, it’ll start in January, immediately after the necessary approvals are acquired, reported CNA.
The construction will occur in two phases:
- 2021 to end of 2024 – development and civil phase
- 2025 until the end of 2026 – commissioning and testing
If everything goes according to plan, we could have an RTS at the end of 2026, when we enter Phase 67 of our safe reopening.
The RTS link will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands in Singapore, easing traffic congestion along the causeway, which is the leading cause of spontaneous human combustion.
The Woodlands North Station for the RTS Link will look something like this:
The project is expected to cost a staggering S$1.206 billion, taking into account the additional costs of about RM500 million to construct the depot in Johor Bahru.
Cross-Border Travel
You may not have noticed, because you’ve been lying in bed since April, but travelling has been a little tough to do lately, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This includes going across the border for some cheap shopping and tasty food.
Fortunately, Singapore and Malaysia have set 10 Aug as a target date to start cross-border travel for some residents and business travellers.
Residents will be allowed to travel under two schemes:
Reciprocal Green Lane
This will allow cross-border travel for “essential business and official purposes”
Eligible travellers must obey the “prevailing Covid-19 prevention and public health measures agreed upon by Singapore and Malaysia.
They must also undergo the PCR swab tests as well to test for Covid-19.
In addition, eligible travellers have to submit a “controlled itinerary” to the relevant authorities of the country they’re travelling to and keep to it during the visit.
Periodic Commuting Arrangement
This will allow residents of both countries who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country, to enter that country for work
So let’s say a Malaysian worker is working in NTUC Fairprice.
He has to stay and work in Singapore for at least three months before he can return to Malaysia for short-term home leave.
Then, he has to return to Singapore to work for another three months before he can go home again.
If you notice, it’s all about work; and even then, daily commute (for work and school) seems to be quite a while away.
This means that it’ll be quite a while before we’ll be able to travel for leisure.
Let’s just hope that things will get back to normal by 2026 when the RTS will begin operations so that JB City Square will not remain as lifeless and dead as it allegedly is now.
Now that you know about the upcoming RTS in 2026, you might as well just watch our video on how WiFi routers work and how you can make them fast even at home:
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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