JB-S’pore RTS fares will be ‘competitive’, to be set nearer completion of project

JOHOR BAHRU – Fares for the upcoming rail link between Singapore and Johor Bahru will be “competitive”, with the exact prices to be set by the operator closer to the completion of the project, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Jan 11.

Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said that in setting fares, RTS Operations, which will run the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, will consider factors such as demand, which may increase over time.

RTS Operations is a joint venture between Singapore rail operator SMRT and Malaysian public transport firm Prasarana.

Singapore and Malaysia have agreed that the operator will determine fares for the RTS Link commercially, Mr Chee said at a press conference on Jan 11, after a ceremony to mark a construction milestone for the rail link, which will start passenger service by December 2026.

Mr Chee added that when it comes to setting fares, other considerations are the cost of providing an efficient and reliable service in a financially sustainable way, as well as the fares charged by other transport modes such as taxis, coaches and ferries.

Malaysian newspaper The Star previously reported that the 4km RTS Link project is estimated to cost RM10 billion (S$2.86 billion), with Singapore footing 61 per cent of the bill.

When ready, the rail service will be able to carry up to 10,000 people per hour in each direction between Woodlands North in Singapore and Bukit Chagar in Johor. Ridership in the first year is expected to be about 40,000 passengers daily.

The ride will take five minutes each way.

Mr Loke said the RTS Link will reduce congestion on the Causeway by 35 per cent. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 350,000 people used the land link daily.

Malaysia’s former transport minister Wee Ka Siong said in 2020 that fares for the RTS Link would be affordable and set with lower-income persons in mind. He also said ticket prices will be the same on both sides of the Causeway, factoring in currency conversion rates.

Currently, there are a variety of transport options for those travelling between Singapore and Johor Bahru, in addition to driving or walking across the border.

Cross-border public bus routes such as 170 and 950 charge regular public transport distance fares. A ride from Queen Street Terminal in Singapore to Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru costs $2.30.

There are also private bus services that ply a range of cross-border routes, with fares starting from $1.80 in Singapore and RM2.60 in Johor.

The Shuttle Tebrau train service by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad between Johor Bahru and Woodlands costs $5 for a one-way trip from Singapore. A ticket from Johor Bahru costs RM5.

This service will stop once the RTS Link starts operating.

Meanwhile, a legal cross-border taxi ride costs between $60 and $120.

On water, there are ferry services operating between Tanah Merah and Desaru Coast in Johor (costing $108 for a round trip), and between Tanah Merah and Tanjung Pengelih in Johor ($73 for a round trip).

In 2023, Johor chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi proposed an additional ferry service between Puteri Harbour in Johor and Tuas in Singapore to ease congestion on the Second Link. Puteri Harbour is a 30-minute drive to Johor Bahru.

Asked on Jan 11 whether there are plans for more ferry services linking Johor and Singapore, Mr Loke said Malaysia will consider any proposals from the private sector to improve connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore.

However, more discussion is needed as any new cross-border links will need approval from the authorities on both sides. This is because a lot of infrastructure and facilities will be needed, he added.

Mr Loke said the RTS Link is poised to be a major driver of socio-economic development.

Mr Chee noted that the project is “much more than building bridges”.

“It is about building stronger ties between the people of Singapore and the people of Malaysia,” he said.

“It is also about building a better future for both countries, strengthening our longstanding friendship and creating more win-win opportunities for our businesses and citizens.”