Kerajaan akan bina ‘linkage’ RTS Link-KTMB Komuter RM60 juta

The Malaysian government plans to construct a RM60 million link between the RTS Link Bukit Chagar and KTMB Komuter services, enhancing public transportation integration and facilitating passengers' access to the transit system. Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook announced that the linkage project has received approval from the Ministry of Economics and will be implemented by the Ministry of Transportation in the near future.

The connection will allow passengers using KTMB Komuter to reach the RTS Bukit Chagar station without needing to detour through existing JB Sentral routes. Once completed, the linkage is expected to take around 12 months to prepare and will reduce the walking distance between the commuter station and RTS Link. The government is also working on the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) 2.0, which includes adding at least 200 new buses to provide services from residential areas around Johor Bahru to Bukit Chagar.

The minister stated that the project with the operator is being finalized, and the final approval will require endorsement from the Ministry of Finance. The addition of buses is planned to be executed in conjunction with the opening of RTS Link to ensure efficient passenger flow. Besides KTMB Komuter and buses, RTS Bukit Chagar station will also be integrated with JB Sentral, e-parking services, and other public transportation modes, making it a multi-modal public transportation hub.

Physical construction of facilities such as Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complex and the RTS Link station is already complete, while the project is currently in the testing and commissioning phase. The construction of these facilities, as well as the integration of various transportation modes, is expected to be completed before the station opens to the public on January 1st of the following year.

RTS Link is scheduled to commence operations in early 2022, with an estimated capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction, connecting Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru with Woodlands North in Singapore.