Amirull Salihing
A multi-agency exercise is set for the RTS Link’s Woodlands North station on Wednesday 11 November. It runs from 3pm to about 2am on Thursday. Singapore police announced it on Tuesday. It comes as the RTS Link to Singapore is due to start in February 2027.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will take part. So will the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The police said blank ammunition and pyrotechnics will be used. The exercise is on the Singapore side of the border.
Overall, here is what to expect, how the exercise fits the run-up to opening and what the line offers. The announcement does not describe the scenario being rehearsed.
What to expect at the Woodlands North station exercise
The exercise begins at 3pm and ends at about 2am. In total, it runs for around 11 hours. The agencies listed are all Singaporean.
Blank ammunition and pyrotechnics will be used, so people nearby may hear loud sounds. They may also see more Home Team officers around the station. However, the police asked the public not to be alarmed.
Cordons and “Exercise-in-Progress” signs will mark the exercise area. As a result, the area should be easy to spot. Members of the public should keep clear of the cordoned areas. Moreover, they should follow officers’ instructions on site.
Anyone who needs police help during the exercise can call the Singapore police hotline at 1800-255-0000. The announcement does not give a Malaysian contact number. Therefore, travellers on the Johor side should use their own local emergency lines.
Drills before the RTS Link opens
This exercise follows an emergency response drill on 27 October. That drill involved security and border agencies from both Singapore and Malaysia. In contrast, this week’s announcement names only Singapore agencies.
RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO) is the joint venture company that will run the rail link. In a statement on 2 October, it said all system tests and trial runs should finish by 31 December 2026. As a result, passenger service is expected to start in February 2027.
The wait comes as other cross-border rules change. For example, Singapore’s border changes on 1 January 2027 will hit drivers and taxis. Meanwhile, more JB–Singapore taxis start on 16 November.
Read more: RTS Link to Singapore starts Feb 2027, fares due by year-end
Read more: More JB-Singapore cross-border taxis from 16 November
Read more: OBU installation for foreign cars costs S$158.70 until 31 Dec
Furthermore, fares have not been announced yet. They are due by the end of the year, according to earlier reports. Likewise, the exact opening day in February is still unknown.
The 4km line between Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar
The line is a 4km shuttle. It links Woodlands North station in Singapore with Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru. Trains will run at a maximum speed of 80kmh.
In addition, each direction can carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour. That capacity is meant to ease crowding at the Causeway. However, the figure is a maximum, not a forecast of daily ridership.
Meanwhile, the announcement gives no detail on which scenario the agencies will rehearse. It also does not say if any trains will run during the exercise. Equally, it does not say if the station’s surroundings will close to traffic.
In short, the RTS Link exercise at Woodlands North runs from 3pm to about 2am on 11 and 12 November. Fares and the exact February opening date are still to be announced.
Sashidaran Gunathevan
Navin Kumar Perianen
C. Khor
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