RTS Link to cut Woodlands–JB travel to 5 minutes; $1b bus blitz boosts local connectivity

Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow unveils MRT expansions and public autonomous bus trials to ease crowding.

Singapore will expand its transport network and prepare for future mobility, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said during the Ministry of Transport’s Committee of Supply debate on 4 March.

The RTS Link will connect Woodlands North to Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru in about five minutes whilst passenger capacity on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) has been planned to accommodate arrivals, with fares to be set by the operator RTSO.

On rail, new MRT lines continue to expand Singapore’s network.

The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Stage 5 and Downtown Line 3 extensions are due to open later this year, connecting at Sungei Bedok station, whilst Circle Line Stage 6 will complete the Circle Line.

Construction on Cross Island Line Phase 3 will start in 2027, extending the line from Jurong Lake District westwards.

Engineering studies for the Seletar and Tengah Lines will also commence this year, prioritising a corridor to serve Sengkang West and Serangoon North.

The Jurong Region Line (JRL) West Coast Extension will begin engineering studies this year, linking the JRL to the Cross Island Line.

A new JRL station, JS2a, is under construction between Tengah and Choa Chu Kang stations and is targeted to open in the mid 2030s.

The opening of the first phase of the JRL has been delayed by six months to mid 2028, with interim shuttle bus services introduced to serve commuters in the meantime.

The government is also preparing for autonomous vehicles (AVs).

Trials in Punggol, which began last September, will open to the public from 1 April on a sign-up basis, with free rides during the trial period whilst autonomous bus trials will start in the second half of 2026 on bus services 400 servicing Marina Bay and 191 of the One-North route.

Public transport enhancements continue under the $1b Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, which has added 25 new bus services and enhanced over 60 existing ones islandwide.

Free morning off-peak travel on the North-East Line and Sengkang-Punggol LRT has shifted about 8% of commuters out of peak hours.

Mr. Siow said train crowding, particularly on the North-East Line, will improve in the longer term with new MRT connections, including the Cross Island and Seletar Lines.

Reducing travel times from HDB estates to the city remains a priority, with goals to narrow the gap with private transport and improve first- and last-mile connectivity.

Express train services remain technically complex and are unlikely on certain lines, but all options continue to be reviewed as technology evolves.

On land transport policy, the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system continues to manage vehicle population.

Category A and B prices have converged recently due to changes in vehicle specifications, prompting a review of COE categorisation.