JB-S'pore RTS Link train to accept multiple forms of payment, exact fares not yet decided

The travel fare of the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link train between Singapore and Johor Bahru (JB) has not yet been decided, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said on Jun. 30.

Speaking at the unveiling event of the first of eight trains, Siow and his Malaysian counterpart Anthony Loke said that the fares will be commercially determined according to demand and supply forces with relation to alternative transport systems between Malaysia and Singapore.

RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO) is currently in the midst of conducting a market study to determine the right amount, and will announced the fares at an undisclosed date closer to the train's public opening at the end of 2026, Siow and Loke said.

Multiple forms of payment accepted

Loke also emphasised that the main consideration taken in the decision on the train's fares will be ensuring that more commuters travel via public transport between Singapore and Johor Bahru in the near future.

On the same note, the train will make use of an "open payment system", the ministers told the media.

This means that multiple forms of payment will be accepted on rides, including credit and debit cards, which will work on a touch-and-go basis.

This is to ensure that commuters have "as many options as possible", Siow said.

As for other existing modes of transport between Singapore and Johor-Bahru, Siow said that there are currently no plans to reduce the frequency of their trips.

A long drawn project

Siow called the RTS a "long drawn project", of which he was a part of the early stages of planning ten years ago.

He assumed the role of Acting Minister for Transport after the latest Cabinet reshuffle on May 21.

Siow was previously a civil servant at the Ministry of Transport (MOT) from 2012 to 2017. He later served at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), but resigned ahead of the 2025 General Elections to stand as a PAP candidate in Chua Chu Kang GRC.

RTS was always an idea we wanted to do, Siow said.

It is the physical manifestation and symbol of many years of hard work of operational staff and planners, he added.

Siow also said that among other goals, the RTS is aimed at boosting connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore, fostering ties between citizens of both nations, and generating joint economic and social benefits.

Loke also called the unveiling of the first train "a very important milestone".

The train represents "two nations coming together...to build something bigger than themselves", he said.

He recalled the temporary pause of the project in 2018 when Malaysia underwent a governmental change, which was later overcome after negotiations between Loke and then-Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

"Today is a testament of that shared commitment, interest and a result of understanding of both governments", he said.

Top image via SMRT