January 22, 2021, 06:00 PM
The Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will be able to ferry 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction once it is operational in 2026, easing congestion on the Causeway.
Pre-pandemic, the Causeway saw about 300,000 commuters crossing it daily.
The journey between the RTS Link Woodlands North station in Singapore and the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru will take only five minutes, making it a convenient and quick travel option.
Entrance to the Woodlands North RTS Link station. Via LTA.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced this at the groundbreaking ceremony for the RTS Link today (January 22), officiated by Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung.
Furthermore, the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities of Singapore and Malaysia will be co-located at the Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations, which means that passengers only need to clear the immigration authorities once at their point of departure.
The RTS Link Woodlands North Station will be constructed underground at a maximum depth of 28 metres.
It will have three stories — two basement levels and an underground linkway to the CIQ building.
The RTS Link Woodlands North Station and the CIQ building will be connected to the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Woodlands North MRT station via an underground concourse.
Via LTA.
The tunnels from the RTS Link Woodlands North Station will be connected to a viaduct that crosses the Straits of Johor at a height of 25 metres.
LTA added that both parties on both sides of the Causeway have been in "close discussions and coordination to ensure the smooth and timely implementation of the RTS Link Project".
"The Land Transport Authority remains committed to working closely with all relevant parties to see through the successful implementation of the RTS Link Project."
Calling the RTS Link a "game-changer", Ong said that it is one of the key transport development features in Woodlands.
Together with the TEL and the upcoming North-South Corridor, it will support development plans to "transform Woodlands into a key growth hub and thriving employment gateway for the North Region, just like Jurong and Tampines".
All images via LTA.
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