It is welcome news that Singapore and Malaysia have officially resumed the project for the cross-border Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link between Woodlands and Johor Baru. This was done with a ceremony one day ahead of a final deadline following multiple postponements. Not unexpectedly, the start of the service has been pushed back from the previous timetable of end-2024 to the new target of end-2026. However, the 4km line will still connect passengers between Johor's Bukit Chagar terminus station and the Singapore terminus in Woodlands North. The Customs, immigration and quarantine facilities will be co-located so that passengers have to clear immigration only once, at the point of departure.

Another change is that the RTS Link now will be a standalone light rail transit (LRT) system and not use the same trains and systems as Singapore's Thomson-East Coast MRT Line (TEL). Consequently, the RTS Link will also no longer use the existing TEL's depot at Mandai. A new depot will be built in Johor Baru. However, the cross-border link's capacity remains unchanged at up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Along with the convenience of having Customs and related facilities being co-located, the purpose of the link is tied essentially to the speed and reliability with which it can serve as a connection for commuters. So long as the LRT system meets those objectives, it would be a worthy enterprise.