RTS Link: Woodlands North to Johor Bahru
The new rail crossing between Singapore and JB
The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System Link — the RTS Link — is a 4 km rail shuttle from Woodlands North in Singapore to Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru. It gives Woodlands a second way across besides the Causeway: a five-minute train ride, with Singapore and Malaysia immigration both cleared before you board.
Status · checked 26 September 2026
Opening date not yet announced
LTA's stated target is for passenger service to start at the end of 2026, and Malaysian reports in August 2026 pointed to 1 January 2027. The exact date has not yet been officially announced — Malaysia's Transport Minister has said it will be announced jointly with Singapore.
The fare has not been announced yet. It will be set jointly by the two governments; treat any figure you see before then as an estimate.
RTS Link at a glance
- Route
- Woodlands North (Singapore) ↔ Bukit Chagar (Johor Bahru)
- Length
- 4 km, across a 25 m-high bridge over the Straits of Johor
- Journey time
- About 5 minutes, station to station
- Capacity
- Up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction
- Immigration
- Cleared once, at the station you depart from
- Connects to
- Thomson-East Coast Line at Woodlands North MRT
- Operator
- RTS Operations Pte Ltd — a joint venture of Prasarana Malaysia and SMRT
How the RTS Link works
The difference from every other crossing is where immigration happens. Both countries have officers in the departure station, so you clear Singapore and Malaysia once, before the train, and arrive as if on a domestic line.
Singapore → JB (from Woodlands North)
- Arrive at Woodlands North — the RTS station connects underground to the Thomson-East Coast Line station of the same name.
- Go through the RTS fare gates and the security check.
- Clear Singapore departure immigration with ICA.
- Go one level down to the Malaysian zone inside the same station and clear Malaysian immigration and customs.
- Board the train. About five minutes later you walk out at Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru — no second immigration check on arrival.
JB → Singapore (from Bukit Chagar)
- At Bukit Chagar, go through the fare gates and security screening.
- Clear Malaysian departure and Singapore arrival immigration there, before you board — both countries' checks sit in the Bukit Chagar complex.
- Ride about five minutes to Woodlands North and walk straight out, or change to the Thomson-East Coast Line.
Until it opens
Until the RTS Link starts running, crossing from Woodlands still means the Causeway. Check the live Woodlands Checkpoint cameras or compare both crossings on the dashboard before you set off.
RTS Link — common questions
When does the RTS Link open?+
LTA's stated target is for passenger service to start at the end of 2026, and Malaysian reports in August 2026 pointed to 1 January 2027. The exact date has not yet been officially announced — Malaysia's Transport Minister has said it will be announced jointly with Singapore.
How much is the RTS Link fare?+
The fare has not been announced yet. It will be set jointly by the two governments; treat any figure you see before then as an estimate.
Do I clear immigration twice on the RTS Link?+
No. Singapore and Malaysia have co-located their checks, so you clear both countries' immigration at the station you leave from and simply walk out at the other end. That is the main difference from crossing the Causeway by car or bus, where you stop at Woodlands Checkpoint and again at the Malaysian complex.
Where is the RTS Link station in Singapore?+
At Woodlands North, next to the Woodlands North MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which it connects to underground. On the Johor side the station is Bukit Chagar, in Johor Bahru city centre.
Will the RTS Link make the Causeway less jammed?+
It adds a rail option that can carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction, giving many people who now cross by bus an alternative. Car and motorcycle traffic will still use the Causeway and the Second Link, so it is worth checking the live checkpoint cameras on this site if you are driving.