Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link: A sneak peek at Woodlands North station, now completed

Singapore commuters are inching closer to expedited cross-border journeys, courtesy of the RTS Link Woodlands North station's completion on September 4. This achievement, announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on the same day, keeps the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link on track for its 2027 operational debut.

The RTS Link, a bilateral venture connecting Singapore and Malaysia, will whisk passengers between Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North station in Singapore, linked to the MRT, in roughly five minutes. Daily ridership is projected at 40,000, with peak-hour capacity rising to 10,000 passengers per direction hourly, according to LTA's Facebook post on September 4.

The completed Woodlands North station, connected to the Thomson-East Coast MRT line (TEL), boasts a design inspired by the "Woodlands identity of nature." During construction, high-capacity drilling machines were employed to navigate over 600 instances of rock blasting at the challenging site, as reported in LTA's Facebook post caption.

Passengers can seamlessly transfer from the TEL Woodlands North station via Basement 1, where the arrival hall and ticketing concourse reside. The concourse's artwork showcases icons symbolizing nature, science, friendship, and heritage. Security screenings occur at immigration halls before passengers reach the train platforms for departure.

The viaduct carrying the cross-border train features a hand-clasping motif, symbolizing the strong partnership between Singapore and Malaysia. In August, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that all Malaysian-side station and rail infrastructure for the RTS Link had been completed, with final integration testing underway. Details of fares and launch date will be jointly announced by the transport ministries of both countries.