KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — Whether one is headed straight to Kuala Lumpur on a business trip, or making other stops within Malaysia as part of a holiday, he or she would only need to clear customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) checks once — at the point of departure in Singapore.

Three CIQ complexes will be built — in Singapore, Iskandar Puteri and Kuala Lumpur — to allow for seamless travel on the High-Speed Rail (HSR) link, which is set to begin services in 2026, the authorities revealed today at the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the HSR in Kuala Lumpur.

Apart from the 90-minute express service between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, there will also be a second domestic service which will make stops at six transit stations: Putrajaya, Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, Batu Pahat, and Iskandar Puteri.  A third service will run between Singapore and Iskandar Puteri.

For those travelling from Malaysia, they will clear customs in Kuala Lumpur, or in Iskandar Puteri. In terms of operations and scheduling, the express service would have priority.  

The entire customs clearance process for passengers is expected to be shorter than if they were to take flights. In other cities where high-speed rail services are available, such as the Eurostar shuttling between London and Paris, passengers are typically required to arrive at the train station no later than 30 minutes prior to departure, for both immigration and security checks.

Fares for the international service are yet to be determined, as it will be set by the operator. In Taiwan, a ticket on the high-speed rail service between Taipei and Kaohsiung — at a similar distance of 345km — goes for about NT$1,500 (RM188). — TODAY