Amirull Salihing
Johor plans an RTS Link dry run in December to test how passengers move. The state still expects the RTS Link to open in February 2027. It said so a day after the Transport Minister quit.
Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh chairs the Johor works, transportation, infrastructure and communications committee. He spoke on 11 November, The Star reported. It followed the launch of the Green and Smart Terminal Blueprint. A deal between Larkin Sentral Property Berhad and the Johor Public Transport Corporation (PAJ) was also signed.
Here is what the RTS Link dry run will test. We also cover the minister’s exit and what is still open. However, no report gives a date, a place or a number of volunteers for the dry run. Therefore, treat December as a plan, not a schedule.
RTS Link dry run in December: what Johor will test
The dry run will assess passenger movements and public transport arrangements, Mohamad Fazli said. It is a state exercise. The report does not say where it will run.
The state is also waiting for more buses under the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme. The report gives no bus numbers or routes. As a result, we cannot say how many buses will be ready by February.
Both matter to commuters. Singapore’s Transport Ministry said on 4 November that the line has a capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour each way. Meanwhile, riders will clear both borders at one station.
A dry run shows how crowds move between the station, the buses and the roads. In addition, it can show where queues form. Johor has not said what it will change if it finds problems.
RTS Link dry run and Anthony Loke’s resignation
Anthony Loke quit as Transport Minister on 10 November. It took effect at once. However, he acted after a court ruling. The Kuala Lumpur High Court let former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
Mohamad Fazli said Johor is maintaining February 2027 as the expected start date. Johor is treating the minister’s exit as no reason to change the plan. However, the date has not been confirmed again by the federal side since then.
Read more: RTS Link to Singapore starts Feb 2027, fares due by year-end
Read more: RTS Link passengers will clear both borders at one station
Read more: OBS Mall plans 300,000 sq ft, 600m from RTS Link
As of 12 November, no new minister had been named. Moreover, DAP had yet to discuss candidates. Loke said the choice rests with the Prime Minister.
RTS Operations announced the February target on 2 October. In addition, Loke has said the opening should not be seen as a delay. A new minister will now inherit that promise.
RTS Link dry run to opening day: dates, fares and buses
Works are due to finish by 31 December, our earlier report said. Tests and trial runs run until then. As a result, the December dry run falls in the last month of that window.
Fares are still not set. Loke had said they would be announced by the end of the year. However, no report says if the change of minister affects that.
Businesses near the station are already planning for February. OBS Mall plans 300,000 sq ft 600m from the RTS Link. Moreover, its opening date is not yet confirmed.
In short, Johor plans an RTS Link dry run in December and keeps February 2027. Fares, buses and the new minister remain open. Check for updates before you plan a trip.
Yalinie Mathan
Sidhaarthan
Sashidaran Gunathevan
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