RTS Link: 7-second immigration clearance possible at JB's Bukit Chagar station

Passengers using the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link could clear immigration in just seconds, with authorities targeting a total processing time of about 25 minutes from entering the station to boarding their train.

The claim comes as the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru enters the final stages of construction ahead of the RTS Link's expected launch in January 2027.

During a media tour of the station on Monday (Aug 17), Malaysia's Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) project director Zulkifli Mohamed told CNA that authorities are aiming for passengers to complete ticketing, security screening and immigration checks for both countries within 25 minutes.

"We are targeting this — this means taking five minutes each to clear ticketing, security, immigration clearances for both countries, and travelling up to the train platform," he said, according to CNA.

Passengers will proceed to Malaysian immigration after clearing security screening, where the station will have about two dozen electronic gates and several manual counters. 

Commuters using Malaysia's MyNIISe app will be able to clear immigration through the e-gates in as little as seven seconds, CNA reported.

Zulkifli added that the process could potentially be shortened to about 20 minutes if everything is streamlined.

The 4km RTS Link will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands North in Singapore, with the train journey expected to take around five minutes.

The cross-border service is designed to ease congestion on the Causeway and is expected to carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

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