RTS Bukit Chagar station to link directly to KTM, buses and taxis
The Malaysian government will spend RM60 million to build a 450-metre pedestrian bridge so passengers leaving the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link at Bukit Chagar can step straight into Keretapi…
Source: Channel NewsAsia · August 18, 2026 at 10:01 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 19 AUGUST 2026 —
The Malaysian government will spend RM60 million to build a 450-metre pedestrian bridge so passengers leaving the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link at Bukit Chagar can step straight into Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) Komuter services.
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Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the covered bridge with travellators will connect the RTS station directly to the adjacent KTM station, cutting the current detour through JB Sentral and saving several minutes per journey. Once complete, KTM passengers alighting at JB Sentral will be able to walk 450 metres along the air-conditioned bridge and board RTS trains without leaving the concourse.
The pedestrian link will take about 12 months to build and is due to open with the RTS service in early 2027, Loke told reporters on Aug 18 during a site visit that included a return trip on the RTS track to Singapore’s Woodlands North station.
In addition to the KTM connection, RTS users will have access to dedicated bus stops along Jalan Jim Quee and a taxi bay further down the same road, Loke said.
The integrated plan is designed to manage the expected surge in traffic around Bukit Chagar, which is expected to handle up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction and about 40,000 daily riders once services begin. The station features spacious air-conditioned concourses, high-tech security screening and immigration systems, and amenities such as large toilets and a nursery for travellers with young children.
Loke described the final testing and commissioning phase as critical. “We are now in the final phase of testing,” he said. “The testing and commissioning phase is critical to ensure that all systems function properly before the RTS is opened to the public.” Authorities have set a target of 25 minutes from the moment a passenger enters Bukit Chagar station until they board the train.
A train-bus hybrid system intended to absorb additional commuters will not be ready at launch. Loke said the government is still finalising details of the elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (e-ART) project, which Johor’s Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi has urged to expedite as an interim solution.
Loke said only that the e-ART would eventually connect with the RTS Link, with concessions still under negotiation. “We are currently working out the concession agreement,” he said. An ART typically uses rubber-wheeled carriages guided by sensors on virtual tracks.
Fares and the start date for RTS operations will be announced jointly by Malaysia and Singapore by year-end, Loke said, after both governments review a pricing proposal expected from RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO) in the third quarter. RTSO is a 50-50 venture between Malaysia’s Prasarana and Singapore’s SMRT Corporation.
In February, Loke said one-way fares were expected in the S$5–S$7 range, adding that the service would not be subsidised by Singapore and must operate commercially. He described the fare level as more cost-effective than driving but higher than Kuala Lumpur’s public transport tariffs.
The 4-kilometre RTS Link completed its first test run in December 2025 and is projected to cut congestion at the causeway and checkpoint by up to 25 per cent once fully operational.
For Malaysian business readers, the direct KTM-RTS connection will improve cross-border commuting efficiency, easing access between southern Johor and Singapore’s northern districts while supporting logistics and labour mobility.
Related: Kuala Lumpur