Johor Crown Prince 'deeply concerned' about rise in traffic congestion once JB-S'pore RTS Link begins

The Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Idris, has expressed concerns that traffic congestion will increase once the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link begins operating between Johor Bahru (JB) and Singapore.

In a Facebook post, he pointed out that no solution has been presented to address the expected rise in traffic, like implementing an elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system or other alternative transportation options around the Bukit Chagar area.

He cited the federal government's reasoning that there were insufficient funds to cover the maintenance costs for a fully elevated system.

At the same time, Penang could secure funds for a light rail transit (LRT) system that is "significantly more expensive".

According to Free Malaysia Today, the Penang LRT system has a cost ceiling of between RM16 billion (approximately S$5.04 billion) and RM17 billion (approximately S$5.4 billion).

Tunku Ismail also shared that he is closely monitoring several major healthcare projects that are facing delays.

"I hope these issues can be resolved promptly and that Johor does not seem to be neglected further."

RTS system between Singapore and JB

The RTS Link train between Singapore and JB is set to open in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Each train can carry more than 600 passengers and will have an overall peak capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction.

The first trains will depart from each end of the line at 6am, while the last trains will depart at 12am.

The train will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands North in Singapore, with a travel time of approximately five minutes.

The shortest interval for a train is 3.6 minutes.

The service is targeted to commence by December 2026 with eight trains.

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Top photos via Tunku Ismail Idris/Facebook & Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd/Facebook