{
  "id": 15077279,
  "title": "Rangkaian rel Johor Bahru perlu ikut permintaan, bukan politik",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/rangkaian-rel-johor-bahru-perlu-ikut-permintaan-bukan-politik",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/pandangan/2026/10/17/rangkaian-rel-johor-bahru-perlu-ikut-permintaan-bukan-politik"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Johor Bahru's railway system must be designed to meet demand, not political whims. The 2027 budget aims to provide provisions for public transport, with more funds expected to flow from the Klang Valley, including Johor Bahru and other state capitals by next June. There is still time to conduct a comprehensive assessment of passenger demand, a crucial foundation for transport planning. Without a clear understanding of travel patterns, passenger numbers, and their origins and destinations, even costly infrastructure projects may fail to deliver the expected benefits. Malaysian transport planning has historically focused on road transport, driven primarily by government decisions and funding. Political considerations often influence decisions over thorough assessments of actual needs and demands. The Johor-Singapore Causeway is a clear example. For decades, traffic between the two cities has exceeded the capacity of existing infrastructure and transport services. Hundreds of thousands cross the border daily for work, trade, study, and various other purposes. The pressure on the Johor Strait is well-known and well-documented. However, incremental upgrades using expensive new technology, such as QR code processing, have failed to alleviate daily congestion, especially when the system encounters disruptions. While this demand has persisted for a long time, the question remains whether we truly utilize the existing infrastructure, particularly rail facilities, before turning to more costly solutions. The Tebrau Shuttle service: a missed opportunity? The Land Transport Authority Malaysia (KTMB) may view the historic Johor Strait ferry crossing as outdated technology by today's standards. Yet, the Tebrau Shuttle service between Johor Bahru and Woodlands has proven its worth as rail-based public transport for cross-border commuting. The actual journey by train takes only about five minutes, significantly faster than road travel during peak hours. However, the service has long struggled with seating capacity constraints and ticket availability, unable to accommodate large numbers of commuters. Between 5 am and 7:30 am, trains run every 30 minutes. After 7:30 am, passengers may have to wait up to half an hour for the next journey. This raises significant questions. If cross-border commuting demand is so high, why is the existing rail service not significantly upgraded to accommodate more passengers? Why are journey times so long that passengers are forced to wait for long periods? Why must every ticket-payer be provided a seat when the journey takes only five minutes, while some may be willing to stand? The answer should not simply be to add more modern, high-tech rail systems currently under construction. How about first investigating operational bottlenecks and the capacity of existing rail lines, increasing the frequency of journeys, border immigration issues, and the possibility of expanding operations? Building rail infrastructure is expensive. If the foundation and stations already exist, maximizing their use should be the starting point, as the cost would be much lower. The RTS Link is needed, but it is not the complete solution for Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS). While the proposed six-minute travel time between Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North, with an estimated 10-minute or less frequency, would offer an alternative to commuters, bypassing Johor Strait ferry crossings, its importance should not be underestimated. However, RTS cannot be considered a standalone or definitive solution to Johor Bahru's transport problems. Its success depends heavily on how commuters travel to and from the Bukit Chagar station. If users still rely on buses, private cars, taxis, or e-hailing services to reach the station, congestion may simply shift from Johor Strait to roads around Bukit Chagar. Station capacity, pedestrian access, bus service integration, ease of disembarking passengers, and integration with other public transport systems must be carefully designed and coordinated. More importantly, we must recognize that RTS primarily serves a specific cross-border corridor. It does not automatically solve the broader movement problems faced by residents commuting between different areas in Johor Bahru, Permas Jaya, Iskandar Puteri, and the Johor Bahru conurbation. We need to distinguish between projects that improve cross-border connectivity and those that enhance mobility throughout the city. What role does KTMB play in the bigger picture? KTMB holds more than one asset in Johor Bahru. In addition to the dual-track link connecting Johor Bahru with Gemas and Kuala Lumpur, there are branch lines from Kempas Baru in northern Johor Bahru to Pasir Gudang in the east. Another branch line in the south at Senai forms a three-way connection with Iskandar Puteri and Tanjung Pelepas in west Johor. Trains from Tanjung Pelepas can also reach Senai, Sedenak, Kluang, and Gem.",
  "summary": "Tanpa pemahaman yang tepat tentang keperluan pengguna, projek infrastruktur yang menelan belanja besar sekalipun mungkin gagal mencapai matlamatnya.",
  "key_points": [
    "Johor Bahru railway system must meet demand, not political whims.",
    "2027 budget to provide public transport provisions, more funds from Klang Valley.",
    "KTMB should investigate operational bottlenecks, increase rail frequency."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Rangkaian rel Johor Bahru perlu ikut permintaan, bukan politik",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/rangkaian-rel-johor-bahru-perlu-ikut-permintaan-bukan-politik-15077299",
        "published": "2026-10-17T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}