The Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link is due to open in January 2027, but as of 30 September 2026 the exact opening date and the official fares have still not been announced.
Search results for “RTS Link opening date” are full of confident-sounding guesses, so this post sorts what is confirmed from what is not. It is a status tracker, dated 30 September 2026, and we will refresh it when the two governments announce. For a general explainer of the line and what it means for the JB side, see our RTS Link guide.
When will the RTS Link open?
The target is January 2027. Singapore completed its Woodlands North station on 4 September 2026, which Mothership reported as four months before the line opens, and other outlets repeated the same timeline. No day has been fixed publicly yet.
On 18 August 2026, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the operation date and fares will be announced jointly with his Singapore counterpart, adding “we cannot make any unilateral announcements”, as reported by Paultan. So any specific opening day you see online today is a guess.
How much will the RTS Link fare be?
There is no official fare yet. Paultan reports that fare negotiations are ongoing and that the operator was expected to present proposed fares in the third quarter of 2026. An earlier estimate, reported from Sin Chew Daily in February 2026, put fares at S$5 to S$7 per trip, roughly RM15.87 to RM22.22. Treat that as an unofficial range that could change.
What do we actually know about the journey?
- Route and speed: about 4 km between Bukit Chagar in JB and Woodlands North in Singapore, around 5 minutes on board, maximum speed 80 km/h (Mothership).
- Capacity: up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction (Mothership).
- Immigration: you clear immigration at one location before boarding. At Woodlands North, Singapore’s immigration hall is at basement one and Malaysia’s customs, immigration and quarantine facilities are at basement two (Mothership).
- Connection: transfer to the Thomson-East Coast Line at basement one of Woodlands North.
What is still not confirmed?
- The exact opening day and the final fare.
- Operating hours and train frequency. Some third-party sites quote a 6am to midnight service and a headway of a few minutes, and some even cite December 2026. Those are unverified and conflict with the official January 2027 target, so we are not repeating them.
- Passes and discounts. Nothing has been announced that we can point to.
The honest pro: a roughly five-minute ride skipping the Causeway jam is a big deal for weekend trips. The honest con: until the fare and hours are out, you cannot budget or plan a same-day return around it. For year-end trips, the line will not be ready, so use our year-end crossing plan instead.
What will the RTS Link mean for a stay near KSL?
The JB terminus is Bukit Chagar, not KSL, so expect a short onward ride. We are not going to claim a distance or time: check Grab for the day, and see our Grab price guide. Our tip: when the date is announced, book your first RTS weekend early, because every Singaporean will want to try it at once.
Quick facts
- Target opening: January 2027; exact date not announced (as of 30 Sep 2026).
- Woodlands North station completed: 4 Sep 2026 (Mothership).
- Fare: not official; unofficial estimate S$5 to S$7 per trip, about RM15.87 to RM22.22.
- Route: about 4 km, roughly 5 minutes, up to 10,000 passengers per hour each direction.
- JB terminus: Bukit Chagar. Singapore terminus: Woodlands North, with a link to the Thomson-East Coast Line.
- Operating hours and train frequency: not confirmed.
Our serviced Studio and 2-Bedroom units at KSL D’Esplanade sit above KSL City Mall in JB city centre, an easy base for the first RTS trips. Read From Singapore to JB: a weekend guide for planning, then contact us or WhatsApp +60 12-708 8789 to check availability.
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