KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Passenger service on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is now expected to begin in February 2027, the Malaysian and Singaporean governments said today.

In a joint statement, the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (Singapore Grantor) and the Ministry of Transport Malaysia (Malaysia Grantor) said they had been informed by RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO) of the revised timeline.

The service was previously expected to commence in January. The new target is subject to RTSO obtaining independent safety certification for the RTS Link and securing final regulatory approvals.

The grantors said infrastructure works in both countries are substantially complete and on track to support passenger service once the remaining testing and commissioning activities are satisfactorily completed.

“More time is needed for the remaining activities prior to service commencement,” the statement said.

RTSO expects to complete its final system tests and trial runs by Dec 31, 2026. It will then need safety certification from an independent safety assessor.

Authorities from both countries must review the certification and be satisfied with it before they grant approval to begin passenger operations.

The grantors said they will continue working with RTSO to facilitate the “smooth and safe” delivery of the project.