Thursday, April 19, 2012

Study on new Johor-Singapore rail, road links

By Sharen Kaur
sharen@nstp.com.my
Published in NST on April 19, 2012


THE Malaysian and Singaporean governments will appoint a foreign consultant by early next month to undertake a detailed study on the proposed Rapid Transit System (RTS) linking Johor Baru and the island republic.

It is understood that the study, which will take six to 12 months to complete, will determine the best options for the RTS development and project cost.

People familiar with the matter said several options were being considered by both governments.

They said the governments were mulling whether to build an elevated rail and road link or underground tunnels between the two cities.

“The study will also indicate whether it will be viable to have Johor Baru and Singapore connected by both rail and road,” one of the sources said.

When the RTS was first mooted, the plan was to connect Johor Baru and Singapore via a rail network.

The source said the plan would have cost both governments not more than RM10 billion.

But a new initiative was announced in January this year by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with his Singapore counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, where both governments said they were examining the prospect of expanding the scope of the RTS to include an underground road link between both countries.

“The project cost has not been discussed by both the governments. The budget can only be estimated after the conclusion of the study by the consultant,” the source said.

The source said the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) would provide the detailed requirements for a study to be conducted by the consultant on the feasibility of a road tunnel.

Malaysia is currently connected to Singapore via the Johor Singapore Causeway and the Second Link.

“If both the rail and road tunnels are approved, each will be independent from the other for safety reasons. They will not be connected,” said the source.

The source said that tenders for the RTS project would be issued by Malaysia and Singapore through the Joint Ministerial Committee, simultaneously, in the second half of next year.

The project is targeted to be operational by 2018.


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