If travelling to Malaysia via bus or car just seems too boring to you, here’s another option that you might want to consider in the near future.
After the land borders between Singapore and Malaysia were reopened on 1 May this year for private cars and public buses, it seems like another avenue of transport will be available very soon.
Just yesterday (11 June), Malaysia’s Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong announced that the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train service between Johor Bahru and Woodlands will be resuming from 19 June onwards.
He was on a visit to observe the progress of the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) in Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru.
The KTM train service, also called the Tebrau Shuttle, has not been in operation since 24 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its rail tracks run on the Causeway, all the way from Woodlands to Johor Bahru.
Ticket Sales and Train Capacity
Datuk Seri Wee also shared on the same day that tickets for the train services between 19 June and 18 July will be on sale from 3am on 13 June onwards.
He also mentioned that 31 trips will be made between Singapore and Johor Bahru daily.
18 trips will be made from JB Sentral to Woodlands, while the other 13 will ferry passengers in the opposite direction.
At a maximum capacity of 320 passengers per train, the trains will depart from their respective stations every 30 minutes.
As for the price of tickets, a trip from Woodlands to Johor Bahru will cost you $5, while a trip back from Johor Bahru will cost RM5 (approximately S$1.56).
“There will be no ticket charge for children below the age of four. Passengers will be using their passports as the official ticket to check in at either station in Johor Bahru or Woodlands,” he added.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, around 415,000 individuals crossed the Causeway and Second Link and Tuas every day, with the Causeway being one of the world’s most used land crossings.
Regarding the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link, Mr Wee also revealed that the project is currently on the “right track” and that around 17% of it is completed.
With an estimated completion date of 2026, the RTS will be able to transport around 10,000 commuters every hour in both directions of the Crossway.
That will help to ease up traffic as the RTS will be able to ferry 35% or more of the human traffic that crosses the Causeway every day.
The RTS Link has two stations: an underground station at Woodlands North in Singapore and an above-ground station at Bukit Chagar in Malaysia.
With the RTS Link, passengers will be able to go through a 4km journey between both countries in around five minutes.
Featured Image: busonlineticket.com