Singapore completed the RTS Link Woodlands North station on September 4. The 4km, five-minute cross-border ride to Johor Bahru launches in early 2027.
Cover image: a train at Woodlands station on Singapore's MRT network — photo by Fanz226, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Singapore's Land Transport Authority has completed construction of the RTS Link station at Woodlands North, finishing works on September 4 and moving the cross-border rapid transit line into its final testing phase. The 4km line will connect Woodlands North to Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru with a five-minute train ride, carrying up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction when service launches in early 2027.
For travellers between Singapore and southern Malaysia, the line promises to replace unpredictable Causeway jams with a metro-style hop. If you cross the border often, read our Singapore budget-travel guide and the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign primer alongside this update.
What was just completed?
The finished Singapore station links underground at Basement 1 to the Thomson-East Coast Line stop at Woodlands North, so transferring passengers never go above ground, and a dedicated bus stop sits right outside. Inside, the station offers a spacious ticketing concourse with departure signage and a Security Clearance Zone for bag checks. Arriving passengers return through a Basement 1 hall fitted with digital immigration gateways leading straight to the MRT.
Before opening, engineers validated capacity with station and cabin measurements plus simulated weight-testing using sandbags loaded onto the trains. Exact fares, frequencies and first-train timings are still to be announced.
How will the cross-border ride work?
Trains run the 4km alignment, 2.3km in Malaysia and 1.7km in Singapore, including a viaduct designed to look like clasped hands. The scheduled end-to-end run is five minutes between Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar. At full operation the system moves 10,000 passengers per hour per direction, a step-change for a corridor where buses and cars now queue.
The operator is RTS Operations Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Malaysia's Prasarana and Singapore's SMRT Corporation. Operations are targeted to begin from January 2027, consistent with the early-2027 launch window.
Why does this matter for regional travel?
The line lands as both countries chase visitor records, with Singapore refreshing its attractions slate (see what's new in Singapore for 2026) and Johor positioning itself as more than a day-trip spillover. A five-minute rail link makes two-centre Singapore-Johor itineraries practical and takes pressure off the Causeway for commuters and weekend travellers alike.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Woodlands North (SG) to Bukit Chagar (JB), 4km |
| Journey time | Five minutes end to end |
| Capacity | 10,000 passengers per hour per direction |
| Singapore station | Completed Sep 4, 2026; B1 link to Thomson-East Coast Line |
| Launch | Early 2027 (January 2027 targeted) |
| Operator | RTS Operations (Prasarana-SMRT joint venture) |
Frequently asked questions
When will the RTS Link open?
Service is planned for early 2027, with operations targeted from January 2027. The Woodlands North station structure finished on September 4, 2026, and systems testing and trial operations run through the rest of the year. Fares and timetables will be published closer to launch.
How long is the ride from Woodlands to Johor Bahru?
The scheduled train ride between Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar takes five minutes across the 4km line, whose 2.3km Malaysian and 1.7km Singapore sections include a viaduct styled as clasped hands. That compares with bus and car crossings that can exceed an hour at peak Causeway congestion. First- and last-train times will be confirmed before launch.
How do immigration checks work on the RTS Link?
The stations include clearance zones with bag checks and digital immigration gateways, so border formalities happen within the station complex. Woodlands North adds a Basement 1 arrival hall with gateways straight into the MRT, while Bukit Chagar hosts Malaysian CIQ facilities. Carry passports as usual until joint procedures are published.
Which MRT line connects to the RTS Link in Singapore?
The RTS station at Woodlands North connects underground at Basement 1 to the Thomson-East Coast Line station of the same name, with step-free transfers and a bus stop outside for last-mile trips. Follow signs for the RTS Link concourse rather than exiting to street level. The TEL itself links Woodlands to the city centre and eastern Singapore.
