Experts name two priority corridors for Johor Bahru e-ART

Experts have named two priority corridors for the Johor Bahru e-ART system. They are Skudai–Tampoi–Larkin and Tebrau–Pandan, both running into the city centre. This is a proposal, not a government decision.

MY Mobility Vision founder and senior adviser Wan Agyl Wan Hassan made the proposal. He said both routes have strong potential demand for public transport. They could link homes, jobs and shops to the city centre.

Here is what the e-ART is, what the corridors are, why integration matters and what comes next.

What the e-ART is

The e-ART is an elevated, unmanned rapid transit system. It runs on rubber tyres, not steel rails. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said it runs like a bus built from linked, articulated sections.

It will use a dedicated elevated guideway, which keeps it apart from road traffic. A May report said it can carry 5,000 to 12,000 passengers an hour, depending on the set-up.

That sets it apart from the LRT and MRT, which run on steel rails. Rail is dearer. In 2024, Johor said an LRT would cost RM16.7 billion, against RM7 billion for an ART system. The e-ART is now put at about RM10 billion.

A bus rapid transit, or BRT, uses ordinary buses. The Sunway line has 15 electric buses on a 5.4 km route. Johor shelved its own BRT plan in 2024.

Sarawak’s ART in Kuching also uses rubber tyres. It follows a virtual track set by sensors in the road surface, and runs on hydrogen. The Johor system will instead rise above the road on a viaduct.

In short, it mixes a bus’s tyres with a train’s separate track.

The two corridors for e-ART

The first corridor runs from Skudai through Tampoi and Larkin to the city centre. The second runs from Tebrau through Pandan to the city centre.

Wan Agyl said both could be key transport links. They would connect residential areas, employment centres and commercial hubs to the city centre. That, he said, could ease traffic congestion.

He also named Pasir Gudang and Iskandar Puteri as options for future phases. The report adds Senai International Airport as a possible later extension.

Both routes echo the Skudai and Tebrau lines in an earlier state plan. That plan also had an Iskandar Puteri line.

A May report said the network could have 32 stations on three corridors, with Bukit Chagar as the main interchange.

The proposal also says the system should reach Bukit Chagar, the Johor station of the RTS Link. However, it does not give lengths, stations or costs.

Why integration matters

The experts stressed links with other transport. Wan Agyl said the Johor Bahru e-ART works only if it joins the RTS Link, KTM Komuter and existing buses.

The RTS Link is the big driver. It can carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction, MRT Corp says.

Passengers arriving at Bukit Chagar from Singapore will need a way to spread out.

Associate Professor Dr Nor Aziati Abdul Hamid heads Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia’s Industry Centre of Excellence for Railway. She said the e-ART could play a key role there. It could also ease congestion around the Johor Causeway, she added.

Wan Agyl warned about Bukit Chagar itself. Cars that pick up and drop off passengers could cause a jam. Traffic there needs careful management, he said.

Nor Aziati listed what else matters. These include service frequency, route suitability, easy transfers and first- and last-mile links.

Route planning should also reflect daily commuting patterns, interchange facilities and system capacity, the report said.

What has been decided so far

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tabled Budget 2027 on 9 October. He said the government had agreed to implement the e-ART as the main solution to Johor Bahru’s congestion.

Anwar also announced short-term steps before the RTS Link opens. They are more bus routes, more frequent buses and KTM Komuter trains, and Grab Shuttle services. These steps aim to ease traffic before the RTS Link opens.

A joint statement on 2 October said RTS Link passenger service should begin in February 2027.

However, the e-ART itself has no build date yet. The report gives no cost, station list or timeline.

Our earlier report said Cabinet approved the project in May as an RM10 billion plan. A consortium holds a letter of intent, not a final award.

In July, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said terms were still under negotiation. He said Cabinet must approve them before the concession agreement is signed. Work should take four years from the award, he added.

Next, watch for the route decision and the funding deal. They will show if these two corridors come first.

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