Passenger service on the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link is now expected to begin in February 2027, after final system tests, trial runs, independent safety certification and regulatory approvals.
The revised target was announced on Oct 2 in a joint news release by Malaysia's Ministry of Transport and Singapore's Land Transport Authority. Both grantors said they had been informed by RTS Operations Pte Ltd, the cross-border rail operator, of the new service commencement timing.
Infrastructure works on both sides are substantially complete, the release said, and remain on track to support passenger operations once testing and commissioning are finished. RTSO expects to complete final system tests and trial runs by Dec 31, 2026. After that, an independent safety assessor must certify the system before authorities in both countries grant final approval for passenger service.
For Johor Bahru buyers, renters and landlords, the date matters because the RTS Link is the transport promise behind much of the Bukit Chagar and city-centre story. A February 2027 start would still put the line close to the long-promised end-2026 operational window, but it shifts the first real commuter test into the new year.
The official release did not announce fares, operating hours or detailed opening arrangements. Those remain the practical questions for people pricing a home around the station: how often the trains run, how immigration works at peak hours, and whether the service changes daily travel enough to justify the premium already built into some addresses.
Several Malaysian outlets, including The Star, The Edge Malaysia, Malay Mail, FMT, Berita Harian and Harian Metro, carried the same February 2027 timing on Oct 2. The official statement is narrower than some headlines: the line is expected to commence passenger service in February, subject to safety certification and final regulatory approvals.
Sources: Ministry of Transport Malaysia / LTA joint release, The Star, The Edge Malaysia.
