JOHOR BAHRU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train service between Johor Bahru (JB) and Woodlands will resume operations on June 19. The service is also known as the Tebrau Shuttle.
Malaysia's Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said the service, which connects JB Sentral and Woodlands, was suspended from March 24, 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I am glad to announce that KTM is now prepared to resume its operations of the Tebrau Shuttle service," he said, after checking on the progress of the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) in Bukit Chagar in JB on Saturday (June 11).
The resumption of the KTM train service - with the rail tracks running on the Causeway linking Woodlands to JB - follows the reopening on May 1 of cross-border public bus and taxi services between Singapore and Malaysia.
The Strait of Johor that separates Singapore and JB is also known as the Tebrau Strait.
Datuk Seri Wee said ticket sales will start from 3am on June 13 for the train services between June 19 and July 18.
He said a total of 31 daily trips will ferry people between Singapore and JB, with 18 trips from JB Sentral to Woodlands, and the remaining 13 from Woodlands to the Johor state capital.
The train has a maximum capacity of 320 passengers with a frequency of one train every 30 minutes, Mr Wee added. The tickets will be priced at RM5 (S$1.56) for a trip from JB to Woodlands, and S$5 from Woodlands to JB.
"There will be no ticket charge for children below the age of four. Passengers will be using their passports as the official ticket to check in at either station in Johor Bahru or Woodlands," he said.
Before the pandemic, about 415,000 people used the Causeway and Second Link at Tuas daily. The Causeway is one of the world's busiest land crossings.
Speaking about the JB-Singapore RTS Link, Mr Wee said the project is on the right track and has reached 17 per cent completion.
When ready in 2026, the RTS will be able to carry 10,000 people per hour, in each direction, or absorb at least 35 per cent of the human traffic at the Causeway.
The RTS Link will connect passengers from the underground Woodlands North station in Singapore to the above-ground Bukit Chagar station in JB - a 4km journey that will take about five minutes.