Delayed RTS Link could face early crowd test if it opens near Chinese New Year or Hari Raya, analysts say

Analysts say border clearance and ticketing will also need to keep up to allow smooth passenger service during a holiday surge.

An RTS Link train undergoes a test run on Jul 15, 2026. (File photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

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SINGAPORE: Opening the delayed Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link around holiday periods could put its passenger-handling arrangements to an early test, transport experts said on Friday (Oct 2), pointing to possible crowd management issues.

An exact opening date has not been announced, but the experts warned that operations beyond the train systems must be ready to welcome passengers in large numbers.

“If it opens immediately before the holiday, I would want to see the whole passenger journey tested under peak-demand conditions, not just the trains,” said Professor Lee Der-Horng, a fellow of Singapore’s Academy of Engineering.

Because passengers will clear immigration for both countries at their departure station, his concern extends to how quickly people can move through ticketing, clearance and boarding.

“Trains could have available capacity while queues are building up elsewhere in the station,” he said.

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