Imagine tapping into Singapore’s MRT network, heading north to Woodlands North, clearing immigration — and then finding yourself in Johor Bahru after a train ride of only about five minutes.
That is the promise of the upcoming Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, and Woodlands North is about to become one of Singapore’s most interesting transport gateways.
The 4km cross-border railway will connect Woodlands North in Singapore directly to Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru. The Woodlands North RTS station was completed in September 2026, bringing the long-awaited project another major step closer to opening. Latest reports say passenger operations are expected to begin in 2027, although the exact opening date has yet to be officially announced jointly by Singapore and Malaysia.
Credit to : AsiaOne
From Singapore MRT to JB in One Journey
Here is what makes Woodlands North particularly convenient.
The existing Woodlands North MRT station (TE1) is already part of Singapore’s Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). The new RTS station will be connected to it through an underground link, allowing passengers arriving from JB to continue onto Singapore’s MRT network.
And although Woodlands North itself is directly served only by the Thomson-East Coast Line, the TEL connects passengers to many of Singapore’s other major MRT lines.
One stop away at Woodlands, commuters can transfer to the North-South Line. Further south, TEL provides connections to the Circle Line at Caldecott, Downtown Line at Stevens, North-South Line at Orchard, and both the East-West and North East Lines at Outram Park. In other words, someone arriving from JB will be able to continue towards Orchard, Marina Bay, Chinatown, the east and many other parts of Singapore using the MRT network.
10,000 Passengers Every Hour
The numbers are impressive too.
At peak capacity, the RTS Link is designed to carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. The train journey itself is expected to take only around five minutes.
Perhaps the biggest convenience is immigration.
Instead of clearing Singapore immigration and then queuing again after crossing the border, travellers will clear both countries’ immigration at their departure station. Once you arrive at the other end, there should be no second immigration clearance.
For Singaporeans who regularly head to JB for food, shopping, cafés, groceries or a weekend getaway, this could completely change the experience.
The Causeway will still be there.
But soon, one of the easiest ways to reach Johor Bahru may simply begin with three words:
“Woodlands North, please.”
