The first train for the highly anticipated Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link was officially unveiled today at the Singapore Rail Test Centre in Tuas, marking a pivotal milestone in the $10 billion cross-border transportation project.
This new four-car, 76.5-metre-long driverless train will undergo extensive testing at the $800 million facility beginning in July. The tests aim to ensure seamless integration with existing rail systems, including platform screen doors and signaling systems.
Key Features of the RTS Link Trains:
- Fully Driverless: The trains are operated under Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4), the highest automation level, allowing them to run without human intervention.
- Capacity: Each train can carry up to 1,087 passengers, with optimal capacity set at 607. There are 32 seats per car, including four foldable ones to accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, or luggage.
- Speed & Frequency: The trains are designed to travel at up to 80 km/h, completing the cross-border trip in about five minutes. At peak hours, a train will arrive every 3.6 minutes, moving up to 10,000 people in each direction per hour.
- Accessibility: For the first time in Singapore and Malaysia, an induction loop system has been installed, allowing hearing aid users to receive public announcements without ambient noise interference.
Emergency & Safety Features:
The trains are equipped with emergency communication systems, red lever-operated evacuation hatches that trigger alerts at the operations center, smoke detectors, and hopper windows for ventilation.
Construction and Delivery Timeline:
RTS Operations (RTSO) – a joint venture between Singapore’s SMRT and Malaysia’s Prasarana – reported that the overall system installation is 56% complete. Track laying is scheduled to finish by end-July 2025, and the traction power system is already in progress.
The initial train, built by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, arrived in Singapore in April and will be tested until the end of 2025. Following this, it will be moved to the RTS Link track for on-site trials between Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations. Seven more trains are being assembled at CRRC’s Batu Gajah facility in Malaysia, with the final set expected by December.
Background & Outlook:
Initially proposed as an extension of Singapore’s Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), the RTS Link project was paused in 2019 before being revived in 2020 with revised cost-saving measures. When operational by end-2026, the 4km RTS Link will drastically reduce congestion at the Causeway, which sees over 300,000 daily crossings.
At the launch, Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke, and Johor’s Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi highlighted the symbolic importance of the RTS Link as a reflection of growing bilateral cooperation and regional integration.
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