The Ministry of Transport (MOT) plans to initiate negotiations to continue the current Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) Tebrau Shuttle service between Johor Bahru and Singapore, even after the Rapid Transit Service (RTS) commences its operations.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke noted that the bilateral agreement between Malaysia and Singapore for the RTS project includes a condition for terminating the Tebrau Shuttle service six months after the RTS becomes operational. However, he believes that enhancing connectivity between the two countries is beneficial and provides passengers with more options. The ministry will work to negotiate with Singapore to maintain this service beyond the RTS’s operational phase.
Loke also mentioned that the ministry has proposed increasing the frequency of Tebrau Shuttle services from the current 31 trips to 36 trips, as well as increasing the number of coaches per train operation from four coaches to eight coaches. This enhancement could raise passenger capacity to up to 13,760 people per day. Currently, KTMB and the ministry are awaiting a response from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in Singapore.
In 2023, the Tebrau Shuttle service has seen an average daily passenger count of 8,635 people, representing a 7% increase compared to the pre-Covid-19 passenger record of 8,077 people per day in 2019.
