by

June 7, 2026

14 minutes

Read Time

Lack of clarity on JB rail plans heightens bottleneck fears ahead of RTS Link launch

The issue of public transport infrastructure and congestion will likely be on the minds of voters ahead of the upcoming Johor state elections, analysts say.

New: You can now listen to articles.

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

Amir Yusof

Read a summary of this article on FAST.

Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.

Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST

FAST

JOHOR BAHRU: At the recent Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) convention in Johor Bahru, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke used his speech to highlight the federal government’s achievements in the southern state ahead of an expected heated election season.

Loke, who is also secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a key component part of the ruling coalition PH, pointed to the Cabinet’s recent approval of a RM10 billion (US$2.49 billion) elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project.

The system is intended to ease congestion in Johor Bahru’s city centre and its surrounding areas, while helping to distribute passenger traffic from the highly anticipated Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link that is scheduled to start operations in January 2027.

“Some quarters have accused us of being slow, but of course we had to take some time and study (the project),” he said.

“But while the ART is not finished, we have a backup plan. We will increase the number of buses in Johor Bahru to disperse RTS passengers.”

But even with Loke’s assurances, Johoreans whom CNA spoke to said that they worry about worsening traffic congestion once the RTS Link becomes operational.

Moreover, transport experts have raised concerns about how Johor’s rail network plan is moving ahead, amid ambiguity with regards to the operational system which the project will ultimately be based on.

Loke’s remarks at the PH convention in May came just days after local media reported that a consortium comprising Malaysian firms Ancom Nylex and MMC Corp, India-based DOM Industries and Thailand’s BTS Group Holdings had received a letter of intent from the government to undertake the ART project.

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can

Show Less

Experts and commuters have raised concerns that roads near Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru would face traffic gridlock once the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link starts in 2027. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

In a Bursa Malaysia stock exchange filing on May 11, listed entity Ancom Nylex said the project “will be based on a medium-capacity rail system” and that the letter of intent (LOI) was issued by the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) under the Prime Minister’s Department.

Before that announcement, financial publication The Edge reported on May 5 that a consortium led by DOM Industries and MMC Corp had secured the contract, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The report said the consortium had proposed an automated people mover (APM) system – the technology used for light rail transit (LRT) lines such as Singapore’s Bukit Panjang, Punggol and Sengkang LRT networks.

The development sparked concerns among transport experts and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who questioned the apparent discrepancy between the government’s original request for proposal (RFP), which specified an elevated ART system, and The Edge’s report that the winning proposal is based on the LRT system.

An RFP is typically a formal business document an organisation creates to announce a new project and invite external contractors to submit bids.

Some experts have also raised concerns about whether any change in technical scope during the bidding process could affect the fairness of the project’s evaluation, and whether other bidders may have been disadvantaged.

Rival bidders for the project are reportedly a joint venture between Malaysian firms WCT Holdings and Lion Pacific, as well as another venture between YTL Corp and SIPP Rail.

Johor urban planning expert and property consultant Samuel Tan told CNA that “concerns over transparency are entirely justified” given the apparent disconnect between what was in the RTP and what has been reported.

“Did other bidders lose out because they strictly adhered to the original trackless ART specifications?” he added.

Questions have also been raised over the project’s timeline. The RFP was issued by UKAS on Mar 12, 2025, but the letter of intent was issued only more than a year later.

Experts told CNA that the gap between RFP and the issuing of LOI in Malaysia is typically up to six months for mega infrastructure projects.

Critics argue that the uncertainty and confusion surrounding the project risk delaying implementation and could heighten fears of even worse chronic congestion when the RTS Link begins operations in early 2027 and brings a surge in cross-border travellers.

HOW DID THE ELEVATED-ART IDEA COME ABOUT?

In January 2024, various local reports cited sources saying that the southern state was set to propose a LRT project, estimated to cost RM20 billion, set to be completed in 2026.

However, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced in April that year that the state government had secured royal consent to propose an elevated ART system for southern Johor, aimed at easing chronic congestion and supporting the state’s economic growth.

The network was envisioned as the backbone of Johor’s public transport system, providing residents and cross-border commuters from Singapore with a long-awaited alternative to congested roads and an overstretched bus network plagued by infrequent services and long waiting times.

Under the state’s proposal, the system would comprise three lines serving Tebrau, Skudai and Iskandar Puteri.

In February 2025, Loke said that the federal government has decided to proceed with the elevated ART – a bus-tram network – over the LRT for southern Johor, and that the Cabinet has tasked UKAS to call for tender proposals.

When asked why the government had decided not to go with the LRT system, Loke cited how the ART system could be built in a short time ahead of the RTS Link launch as a key consideration.

An ART system is typically an autonomous train-bus hybrid network running on roads.

Its carriages, which run on rubber wheels, use sensors that enable the vehicle to follow a route defined by a virtual track. The ART system is already under construction in the Borneo state of Sarawak with parts of the route targeted for operation by end-2026.

In late 2025, Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Ibrahim said he was “deeply concerned” about the increased congestion in Johor Bahru city centre.

“To date, no comprehensive solution has been presented to accommodate the expected increase in traffic, including the implementation of an elevated automated rapid transit system or other alternative transport options around the Bukit Chagar area,” he said.

Locals who spoke to CNA recently also lamented the delays, citing how Johor Bahru town is currently already congested.

Johorean Razali Tompang says crowd dispersal plans around Bukit Chagar should have been planned in tandem with the construction of RTS Link. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

Razali Tompang, who commutes almost daily for work between Johor Bahru and Singapore, told CNA that even before the RTS Link is launched, the roads leading to Bukit Chagar and Bangunan Sultan Iskandar’s customs and immigration complex are “already jammed” due to dispersal issue.

“I see this as a failure (of the state and federal government) to plan. The RTS Link has already been in the works for some time,” said the communications executive.

“The Singapore side has prepared the infrastructure and traffic dispersal in advance, connecting the RTS Link (Woodlands North Station to the Mass Rapid Transit system),” added the Johorean.

The RTS Link will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands in Singapore, serving about 10,000 passengers per hour each way.

A trackless tram, also known as autonomous rail rapid transit (ART), in Putrajaya, Malaysia. (Photo: Facebook/Perbadanan Putrajaya)

LACK OF TRANSPARENCY?

Transit Malaysia, a non-governmental organisation focused on public transport issues, said the latest confusion surrounding the Johor rail project reflects “a pattern of systemic failures” in Malaysia’s delivery of major transport infrastructure.

In comments to CNA, the group said that efforts to establish an efficient mass transit system for Johor Bahru have stretched back decades.

Several proposals have since stalled or been abandoned, including the RM2.56 billion Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which was shelved in 2024, and earlier plans for an LRT network.

“Repeated flip-flopping of project proposals reflects Malaysia’s lack of a transparent, stage-gated process for the development of public transportation,” Transit Malaysia said.

Transport expert Rosli Azad Khan said concerns have been heightened by reports that the selected proposal is “not an ART system at all, but an elevated rail-based APM system”, representing a “major departure” from the project’s original scope.

“A key issue here is transparency, as well as whether the evaluation and selection process was guided by independent technical expertise and aligned with Johor Bahru’s long-term public transport needs,” added Rosli, who is managing director of transport consultancy MDS.

“The authorities have a responsibility to ensure the process is fair not only to participating bidders, but ultimately to the people of Johor Bahru, who will live with the consequences of this decision for decades.”

Transport experts previously told CNA that an elevated ART system appeared to be the more practical option for southern Johor, given the state’s transport needs and fiscal constraints.

One expert estimated that a multi-tiered ART network with elevated sections could cost around US$100 million per kilometre, compared with up to US$200 million per kilometre for a large-scale elevated LRT system.

LRT systems are generally faster, operating at speeds of between 40kmh and 80kmh, compared with around 30kmh to 60kmh for ART vehicles.

However, the higher cost comes with greater capacity. Experts noted that LRT trains can typically carry between 200 and 300 passengers per trainset, while ART vehicles generally accommodate between 100 and 200 passengers.

Urban planning expert Tan said the project’s revised budget – which has increased from an earlier estimate of RM7 billion to RM10 billion – suggests the scope may have expanded, potentially involving “heavier civil works to bridge the gap between a light tram and a robust elevated rail network”.

“While the Cabinet has approved the funding, the public and the market are still waiting for a definitive technical blueprint to clear up the ART-versus-LRT confusion,” he said.

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry and Prime Minister’s Department did not respond to CNA’s queries on whether the project is going ahead as an ART or LRT, whether there is a discrepancy in the technical scope, budget and type of rail of the project in the RFP and the proposed plan by the winning bidders, among other points.

Commuters wait for ride-hailing services at JB Sentral on May 20, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

TRANSPORT ISSUES COULD FACTOR IN UPCOMING STATE POLLS

With the RTS Link set to begin operations in January 2027, urban planning analyst Tan warned that the absence of a rail-based feeder system on the Johor Bahru side poses a “significant operational risk” and could worsen congestion across the city.

The stakes are heightened by the launch of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which is expected to accelerate the movement of people, businesses and investments across the border.

Transport experts added that Loke’s promise of more buses and pedestrian bridges to connect passengers to neighbouring malls, hotels and apartments is merely a stopgap measure given that a large number of these travellers are Johoreans who commute to Singapore to work and require connectivity to their homes in the outskirts of the city centre.

Tan told CNA: “Unlike an elevated system, buses must share JB’s heavily congested roads and bottlenecks (like the Tebrau and Skudai corridors).

“Even with dedicated bus lanes, enforcement in JB is notoriously difficult. The sheer volume of buses required to disperse 10,000 passengers an hour will create localised gridlock around the Bukit Chagar transport hub itself,” he added.

Tan acknowledged, however, that plans to expand the national rail network in southern Johor, including links to towns such as Kluang, could help divert some regional commuters before they reach the city.

Transport analyst Nasser Ismail, who previously served as a senior official with the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, said the bigger challenge remains last-mile connectivity.

Without an extensive feeder network, commuters would continue to face what he described as a “trunk-line problem”, where the main rail connection exists but onward connections to residential areas such as Pasir Gudang, Skudai and Tebrau remain inadequate.

He also noted that Johor authorities have identified 77 traffic congestion hotspots across Johor Bahru, Pasir Gudang, Iskandar Puteri and Kulai.

While the government has proposed feeder bus services and park-and-ride facilities near the Causeway, Nasser argued that these measures “do not solve last-mile connectivity for the broader urban area”.

The Causeway congested with vehicles on May 20, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

For some commuters, the shortcomings are already apparent.

Admin assistant Zarita Helmi told CNA that she currently rides her motorcycle to the park-and-ride facility near the Causeway before taking the bus across the land border to Singapore for work.

However, she finds parking spots for her motorbike increasingly hard to find and on some days, the Johorean has resorted to parking at malls, where daily costs could go up to RM50.

“I hope this issue of (dispersal) and parking is raised during the upcoming state elections, because we want a permanent solution,” added the 38-year-old.

The Johor state assembly was dissolved on Jun 1, paving the way for snap polls to be held within the next 60 days.

Analysts predict that transportation could figure as a hot-button topic, alongside issues like rising cost of living, given how an estimated hundreds of thousands of Johoreans commute between Singapore and Johor Bahru each day to earn a living.

“Right thinking voters will use the lack of public transport infrastructure in JB as a yardstick to determine the effectiveness of the government,” said Rosli.

“They have been talking about tackling JB and Causeway congestion for years, and nothing tangible has been shown,” he added.

Politicians have already raised the issue, with Johor Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) chief Wee Ka Siong questioning how the delays to the project’s construction could be longer than most people realised.

He asked why UKAS only made the move in early May, when the RTS Link is scheduled to open in seven months.

“A letter of intent from UKAS does not mean the project is confirmed – it is not a letter to start work, nor is it a final contract,” said Wee.

“It is merely a document expressing the intention to begin negotiations on commercial terms with the concessionaire,” the former transport minister reportedly said.

MCA is part of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) state government but is seen as a fierce critic of the Madani federal government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s PH coalition.

BN and PH are expected to contest fiercely in the upcoming polls even though they are both part of the federal government.

Nasser, who is also founder of the JS-SEZ Monitor substack, added that ultimately, there is a risk that the narrative of the RTS Link’s imminent launch shifts from “transformative cross-border connectivity” to merely shifting the congestion from the Causeway to the streets of Johor Bahru.

“If commuters find that a five-minute train ride is followed by a 45-minute bus journey or gridlocked streets, adoption rates will suffer and the economic multiplier effect the JS-SEZ is banking on will be slower to materialise,” he added.