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This is for anyone who owns, is buying,or is thinking of renting out a home in Johor Bahru because of the RTS Link. The short answer: the train is real and nearly finished, but it now opens no earlier than February 2027, the fare is still unknown, and a lot of the “RTS story” is already in today’s asking prices. Buy for the walk to the station, not for the word “RTS” in a brochure.
I cover the good, the bad and the reality in this video:
I already have a short overview page on the RTS Link. This article goes further: what changed this month, what the market has already priced in, and the checklist I use with buyers and landlords.
Where the RTS Link stands in October 2026
On 2 October 2026, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport issued a joint statement. The operator, RTS Operations, now expects passenger service to start in February 2027. Malay Mail reported that the previous expectation was January, and LTA’s own project page had earlier said end-2026.
The new date is not a promise. It depends on the operator finishing its final system tests and trial runs by 31 December 2026, getting a safety certificate from an independent assessor, and then winning approval from authorities on both sides. The statement says the infrastructure in both countries is substantially complete, so this is a testing and approvals delay, not a construction one.
| Item | What is confirmed | Still unknown |
|---|---|---|
| Route | About 4 km, Bukit Chagar (JB) to Woodlands North (Singapore), about five minutes | — |
| Capacity | Up to 10,000 passengers per hour each way at peak; about 40,000 a day expected | Actual daily ridership once open |
| Immigration | Co-located checkpoints: you clear both countries at the station you board | Queue times in practice |
| Singapore side | Links to the Thomson–East Coast MRT line at Woodlands North | — |
| Opening | Expected February 2027, subject to safety certification and approvals | Exact date |
| Fare | No fare announced in the official statements I read | Price, concessions, passes |
On fares, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in August 2026 that the fare and opening date would be announced jointly with Singapore and that talks were still going on. Until a fare is published, nobody can tell you exactly how much a daily commute will cost, so be wary of any rental or resale figures that assume one.
Which parts of JB actually benefit
The benefit falls off quickly with distance. The RTS saves time at the border, but only if getting to Bukit Chagar station is easy. This is how I group areas:
- Walking distance to Bukit Chagar. The clearest gain. A tenant who works in Woodlands or near the Thomson–East Coast line could walk to the station, clear immigration once and be in Singapore in minutes.
- JB Sentral and the city centre. Close, but check the actual walking route and how long it takes, not the straight-line distance. I cover this area in more detail on my JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar page.
- Suburbs that depend on a feeder service. Johor has pushed for a local rail system to spread RTS passengers around the city. EdgeProp reported in May 2026 that a roughly RM7 billion elevated ART project was heading to an MMC Corp-led consortium. In the sources I read, no routes, stations or completion date had been confirmed, so I would not pay extra today for being “on a future feeder line”.
- Everywhere else. For many families, retirees and owner-occupiers, schools, space and price matter more than the station. Most of Greater JB will feel the RTS only indirectly.
What is already priced in
This is the part most marketing leaves out. In an EdgeProp report in October 2026, a valuer at CBRE | WTW said the RTS story is partly priced in. He also said at least 20 new projects had launched within 5 km of the RTS terminal in the past year, and that supply from 2027 onwards could mean more competition.
The wider supply numbers point the same way:
- Johor already had 108,863 serviced apartment units as of the first quarter of 2026, with 41,832 more incoming up to 2030 and another 18,712 planned to 2031 (NAPIC data cited by CIMB Research in The Star, July 2026).
- NAPIC recorded 10,349 completed SoHo and serviced apartment units unsold in Johor in the first quarter of 2026, almost all in Johor Bahru (EdgeProp, October 2026).
- CIMB Research said it remains cautious on JB’s high-rise residential segment, while it favours landed and industrial property.
The same EdgeProp report quoted the valuer saying gross yields of 6–8% in prime city-centre areas could come down to about 4% once costs are counted. In plain terms: the RTS can raise demand for rooms near the station, but many new units will be chasing the same tenants.
If you already own near the station
- Do not sell or reprice on the first day of service. Real demand will show only after a few months of operation, once the fare and actual queue times are known.
- Know your walking time. Time the walk to the station door yourself. That number will sell or rent your unit better than any brochure line.
- Compare against new supply, not old listings. Your future tenant will be choosing between your unit and brand-new completions nearby.
- Check the tax side if you rent out. See Renting out your JB property? Check the tax side first.
- Moving with children? Plan the school run before you pick the home. See Schools in JB for families who work in Singapore.
My checklist before buying “near the RTS”
- Walk from the lobby to Bukit Chagar station at peak time. Note the minutes, the road crossings and whether there is shade.
- Ask who your tenant or future buyer is. A Singapore commuter, a weekend visitor and a local family want different things.
- Count the competing supply within 1–2 km that completes in the same year as your unit.
- Compare the price per square foot with similar buildings a little further from the station, so you can see how much RTS premium you are paying.
- Run your numbers with the RTS opening a year late and with no rent premium. If they only work in the best case, walk away.
- If you are a foreigner, check the Johor minimum price and the project’s foreign quota first: minimum price and foreign quota.
- Add up stamp duty, legal fees and loan costs before you commit, using the buying costs calculator.
The RTS Link will make cross-border life easier, and for the right unit in the right spot it is a genuine plus. It is just one factor, and it is no longer a secret.
Questions about your situation?
Tell me where the unit is and who you plan to rent or sell to, and I will give you my honest view, including the parts that count against it.
Sources: LTA and Malaysia Ministry of Transport, “Joint news release: RTS Link passenger service targeted for February 2027”, Oct 2026; LTA, “Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (project page)”, May 2025; The Star, “JB-Singapore RTS Link to commence operations in February 2027”, Oct 2026; Malay Mail, “JB-Singapore RTS Link service start pushed back to February 2027”, Oct 2026; The Star, “RTS Link fare, opening date to be announced jointly by Malaysia and Singapore, says Loke”, Aug 2026; EdgeProp, “Johor adds 115,000 homes to meet demand fuelled by industrial, RTS, JS-SEZ”, Oct 2026; The Star, “Johor high-rise segment faces oversupply risks”, Jul 2026; EdgeProp, “Ukas to award MMC Corp-led consortium JB ART project — sources”, May 2026; Malay Mail, “Johor presses Putrajaya for local rail system decision as RTS Link completion nears”, Nov 2025
Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 12 October 2026, not legal, tax or financial advice.