{
  "id": 11467996,
  "title": "Delayed RTS Link could face early crowd test if it opens near Chinese New Year or Hari Raya, analysts say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/delayed-rts-link-could-face-early-crowd-test-if-it-opens-near-chinese-11467996",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T15:13:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/rts-link-johor-bahru-singapore-delayed-chinese-new-year-hari-raya-6427221"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore and Malaysia have delayed the opening of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link to February next year, according to transport experts. The delay comes after additional testing, safety certification, and regulatory approvals are needed. The experts warn that opening the service around holiday periods may test the passenger handling arrangements early, leading to potential crowd management issues. Professor Lee Der-Horng of Singapore's Academy of Engineering suggests that the entire passenger journey should be tested under peak-demand conditions before the holiday starts. Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow stated that the service will open before the Hari Raya Puasa holiday on March 10 and before Chinese New Year on February 6 and 7. Dr David Ng of the Institution of Engineers Singapore advises that if the service operates at its peak capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction, any crowd that builds up will fall to station managers. Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences believes that having the RTS Link even if it's newly opened is better than not having it at all. The delay in opening the RTS Link could be attributed to issues during testing, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or changes in the project scope and technical details over the past 16 years.",
  "summary": "Analysts say border clearance and ticketing will also need to keep up to allow smooth passenger service during a holiday surge.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Singapore",
        "title": "Delayed RTS Link could face early crowd test if it opens near Chinese New Year or Hari Raya, analysts say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/delayed-rts-link-could-face-early-crowd-test-if-it-opens-near-chinese",
        "published": "2026-10-02T15:13:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}