SINGAPORE: Singapore has awarded the first of two civil contracts for the construction of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link to Penta-Ocean Construction Co Ltd at a contract value of S$932.8 million (RM2.8 billion).
“This contract covers the construction of the RTS Link Woodlands North station, tunnels and the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) building in Singapore,” the republic’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on its website today.
According to LTA, Penta-Ocean Construction has wide-ranging experience in infrastructure and building projects in Singapore.
The company is currently working on the Bright Hill and Orchard stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). They had previously built the TEL Woodlands North station as well as the Downtown Line’s Bendemeer station.
The construction of the RTS Link was expected to commence in the first quarter of 2021 and passenger service was expected to commence at end-2026, LTA said.
The authority said the second civil contract for this project, which includes the construction of the RTS Link viaduct, will be awarded in the first quarter of 2021.
The RTS Link is a rail shuttle service between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru.
It will support a peak capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
To facilitate a seamless travelling experience, the CIQ facilities will be conveniently co-located at the Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations.
Passengers will be required to clear both Singapore and Malaysia immigration authorities only once, at the point of departure.
Upon arrival in Singapore, passengers can continue their journey by transferring to the TEL Woodlands North Station.
When operations commence, the RTS Link will further improve connectivity between Singapore and Johor Bahru and help ease congestion along the Causeway.