30 July 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Prasarana and SMRT sign Joint Venture Agreement for Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System Link
1 Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana), Malaysia’s leading public transportation provider, and SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT), Singapore’s leading rail operator, have signed a Joint Venture (JV) Agreement to form the Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link operating company, RTS Operations Pte Ltd.
2 RTS Operations Pte Ltd, a Singapore incorporated company, will design, build, and finance the RTS Link operating assets including trains, tracks and systems. This company will also operate and maintain the rail line between Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and Woodlands North in Singapore. The RTS Link passenger service is targeted to commence by end-2026, and it will be able to carry up to 10,000 passengers every hour in each direction.
3 The JV Agreement was signed digitally by Encik Muhammad Nizam Alias, President and Group CEO of Prasarana, Mr Neo Kian Hong, Group Chief Executive Officer of SMRT, and Yang Berbahagia Datuk Syed Mohamed bin Syed Ibrahim, Chairman of RTS Operations Pte Ltd. The signing was witnessed by Yang Berhormat Dato Sri Haji Tajuddin Bin Abdul Rahman, Group Chairman of Prasarana, and Mr Seah Moon Ming, Chairman of SMRT.
4 Also present were Yang Berbahagia Datuk Isham Ishak, Secretary-General Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Mr Yap Kim Wah, Vice Chairman of RTS Operations Pte Ltd, as well as Mr Abu Bakar, Dato T Jasudasen and Encik Mohd Rafizee Abdul Rahman, board members of RTS Operations Pte Ltd.
5 Dato’ Sri Haji Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said: “Prasarana is proud to be part of this initiative, which fits well to its mission to be a catalyst for further development and economic growth to Malaysia.”
6 Mr Seah Moon Ming emphasised that “the RTS Link is a significant milestone that will bring the people, cultures and societies on both sides of the Causeway closer. It will enhance cross-border connectivity for millions of commuters for decades to come.”
7 Encik Muhammad Nizam said: “Prasarana is fully committed for successful delivery of the Project according to its schedule as the RTS Link is very important for both Malaysia and Singapore in tapping the vast economic opportunities in both countries for mutual benefit.”
8 Mr Neo Kian Hong said: “We are excited to work with Prasarana to provide a service on the third land link between Singapore and Malaysia, which will improve the commute of people who work and live on the two sides of the Causeway. We look forward to forging a close working relationship between our two rail companies.”
- Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim said: “Apart from providing an alternative mode of transport between Johor Bahru and Singapore, we hope that the collaboration could benefit both companies in terms of access to greater resources, for example, technology, finance and new knowledge and expertise, including specialised staff.”
Media Contact
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad
Group Strategic Communication and Marketing Division
Tel: +60 19 383 7865
Email: azharghazali@prasarana.com.my
SMRT Corporate Communications
Tel: +65 9822 0902
Email: media@smrt.com.sg
About Prasarana Malaysia Berhad
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) is the leader in the transformation of Malaysia’s public transport services. It is the asset owner and operator of three light rail transit networks - LRT Kelana Jaya Line, LRT Ampang Line; and LRT Sri Petaling Line, the Monorail Line and a fleet of stage buses in several states in Malaysia. It also operates the ferry services in Pulau Pinang and the MRT Kajang Line.
Prasarana also manages the development and construction of the rail infrastructure projects; which included the LRT Line Extension project connecting Sri Petaling to Putra Heights for the extended Sri Petaling Line; and from Kelana Jaya to Putra Heights for the extended Kelana Jaya Line; and the LRT Line 3 (LRT3) from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia in Klang.
Prasarana also focus on non-fare revenue businesses through monetization of Prasarana’s assets - from development of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) on land owned by Prasarana; advertising on all its assets including at bus hubs and rail stations as well as inside the buses and trains; and along the rail networks including the pillars.
About SMRT Corporation Ltd
SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) is a public transport services provider. Our primary business is to manage and operate train services on the North-South Line, the East-West Line, the Circle Line, the new Thomson East-Coast Line and the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit. This is complemented by our bus, taxi and private hire vehicle services.
We have set our core values to be Integrity, Service and Safety, and Excellence. SMRT is committed to provide safe, reliable and comfortable service for our commuters.