(Bloomberg) -- Singapore and Malaysia will officially resume a border rail system project with passenger service to commence in end-2026 from end-2024 previously, according to a joint statement from the countries.
The city-state's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Muhyiddin Yassin held a ceremony at the causeway Thursday to mark the official restart of the project that was suspended since April last year. Malaysia's government at the time requested a suspension to review the project and negotiate for lower costs.
With the commencement of the infrastructure project, both countries have agreed:
- The rapid transit link will be a will be a standalone light rail transit system, instead of making use of Singapore's Thomson-East Coast Line mass rapid transit system. The capacity for the new rapid transit link is unchanged at up to 10,000 passengers per hour from each direction.
- The link will no longer use an existing depot in Singapore. Instead a new depot will be constructed in Johor Baru in Malaysia.
- Each country will separately appoint an infrastructure company to fund, build, own, maintain and renew the civil infrastructure and stations in its territory up to the international boundary.
- Malaysia has changed its company from Prasarana Malaysia Berhad to Malaysia Rapid Transit System Sdn. Bhd. The Land Transport Authority of Singapore remains as Singapore's infrastructure company.
- Rail link will continue to feature co-location of customs, immigration and quarantine facilities, so that passengers undergo clearance only once at their point of departure.
- The fare levels will set by the operating company. closer to the date of passenger service commencement.
- Earlier, Malaysia Revives Singapore Border Rail Project at Lower Cost (1)
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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