New JB-Woodlands train service from July 1

New JB-Woodlands train service from July 1

A new shuttle train service plying between Woodlands and Johor Baru (JB) Sentral will start on July 1.

Malaysian rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) will operate the service called Shuttle Tebrau.

There will be 14 trips daily: seven from JB Sentral Station and seven from Woodlands Station.

A one-way fare from Woodlands will cost $5, while the return trip from JB Sentral will be priced at RM5 (S$1.80).

KTM said in a media release that the shuttle service will provide a transport solution for commuters who are travelling daily from Johor in Malaysia to Singapore.

"It is also an effort to reduce the massive road congestion, especially during the peak hours at the Johor Causeway," the operator added.

The departure timings from Woodlands Station will be: 6.30am, 8am, 9.30am, 5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm and 11pm.

From JB Sentral, the timings will be: 5.30am, 7am, 8.30am, 4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm and 10pm.

On each trip, the train can ferry between 300 and 320 passengers.

Commuters said that, compared with taking the bus to JB, the train may be quicker but will cost more.

Travel blogger Liau Yun Qing, 29, said it took her about two hours to get from Queen Street in Singapore to JB Sentral on Saturday, using the Causeway Link bus service.

"This is because of the queues to clear immigration and queues to board the buses again (after clearing immigration)."

The ride cost her $3.30 going in and RM3.40 coming back.

There are currently seven cross-border bus services which ply between Singapore and Johor Baru: two are operated by SBS Transit, one by SMRT and the other four services by private bus operators.

Prices for the private services range from $2 to $7.

KTM said that, with the new shuttle, train services from Kuala Lumpur Sentral, Butterworth and Gemas stations - which currently end at Woodlands Station - will end at JB Sentral instead from July 1.

Commuters will have to use Shuttle Tebrau to complete the rest of the journey to Singapore.

Said beautician Janice Lee, 50, who visits JB occasionally to shop and eat: "I've never taken the train (to JB) before, but if this new shuttle service is convenient and safe, I wouldn't mind giving it a try."

~News courtesy of My Paper~

Lego replica of Istana Bukit Serene unveils at Legoland

Lego replica of Istana Bukit Serene unveils at Legoland Malaysia

Visitors to the Legoland Malaysia Resort now have a new attraction to see after the Sultan of Johor officially unveiled a Lego replica of his residential palace, Istana Bukit Serene today.

During a ceremony at the theme park, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar laid the final gold-coloured Lego brick on the replica of a crown arch which in real life is situated in front of the palace.

The entire replica is made up of 278,023 Lego bricks and weighs 350kg.

It took four months to make and includes intricate details such as the sultan's motorcycle, cars and even a stray black cat which is said to be a regular visitor to the palace grounds.

Legoland Malaysia model builder, Stefan Bentivoglio said the work was conducted by a team of six builders.

"We had an audience with the sultan after his coronation in March.

A team then went to Istana Bukit Serene on several occasions to take pictures and measurements of the palace that was built in 1939.

"The biggest challenge of building the replica was making the sultan happy, and judging from Tuanku's smile today, I think he is indeed happy," Stefan said after the launch ceremony.

The Istana Bukit Serene is now among the other replicas of iconic buildings such as the Petronas Twin Towers and the Taj Mahal at Legoland.


The Sultan of Johor (centre) flanked by Lego model builder Stefan Bentivoglio (left) and State Tourism, Dosmestic Trade and Consumerism committee chairman, Datuk Tee Siew Kiong (right) looking at the Istana Bukit Serene at the Legoland minipark here today. Beside him (left) is the builder Stefan Bentivoglio.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Heavy traffic expected at Tuas, Woodlands checkpoints

Heavy traffic expected at Tuas, Woodlands checkpoints over Vesak Day weekend



The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) issued an advisory to warn travellers to expect delays at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.

If you are planning to drive to Malaysia for the upcoming long weekend, plan for heavy traffic.

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) issued an advisory to warn travellers to expect delays at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.

Traffic leaving Singapore will be especially heavy on May 29 and May 30. Traffic entering Singapore will be heavy on June 1.

The ICA said that with security checks, traffic build-up is inevitable and urged travellers to adjust travel plans.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

New deadline for High Speed Rail project

New deadline for High Speed Rail project

Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to re-assess the initial target of a 2020 deadline to complete High Speed Rail Project (HSR) connecting both countries, given its complexity and scale.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the development of the project will take five years, while the tender and design processes will take a year each, thus it would push the initial target of 2020 further.

"Bilateral issues on the matter will be settled by the year's end, and we will announce a new deadline for the project," Najib told reporters during a joint press conference between Najib and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at the Malaysia-Singapore Sixth Leaders Retreat today.

Lee also announced that the HSR terminus for the Singapore's side will be located in Jurong East which is being developed by the republic as its next central business district.  

The announcement follows Malaysia's announcement last year that the HSR project on its side will start from Bandar Malaysia in Sungai Besi.



Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak (L) and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (R) attend a joint press conference after a meeting at a hotel in Singapore. Najib is here on a two-day visit for the 6th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' retreat.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

MRT link to Johor Baru unlikely before 2020

MRT link to Johor Baru unlikely before 2020



50 YEARS OF SINGAPORE-MALAYSIA TIES: The Malaysian delegation (left) led by PM Najib Razak (wearing red tie) and the Singapore delegation (right), led by PM Lee Hsien Loong, at the Shangri-La Hotel yesterday. 

Hopping onto an MRT train and arriving in Johor Baru is unlikely to be a reality before 2020, as Malaysia has yet to determine a station site for its end of the line.

This Rapid Transit System link was first announced by Singapore and Malaysia in May 2010, and was initially targeted to be ready by 2018.

This was pushed to 2019 when Singapore decided to lengthen the Thomson Line - to which the cross-border MRT line will link.

Rail construction experts said even if work started today, the line would be completed by 2020 at the earliest. But work is unlikely to start any time soon because no decision has yet been made on where the JB station will be.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Causeway Link - Senai Airport Bus

Fares increased for taxi, train and express bus services

Fares increased for taxi, train and express bus services

Be prepared to pay more for your public transport. The increase in taxi fares takes immediate effect while train and express bus charges will be raised on May 1 and May 15 respectively.

Budget taxis in the Klang Valley and Johor Baru will charge 25 sen per 200m and 25 sen per 36 seconds although the flagfall will remain at RM3 for the first kilometre.

This is a sizable increase as each budget taxi will get RM1.25 per km (from RM0.87 per km, up by 44%) and 42.67 sen per minute (from 28 sen per minute, up by 49%).

For example, a budget taxi that is stuck in traffic for an hour will take in RM25 (RM30 for those in Penang) from time-based charges alone, up from RM16.80 previously. This is likely to make taxi drivers more willing to face congestions.

Express buses will charge 2.1 sen more (or 22.5%) per km, setting the new fare at 11.4 sen per km.



Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said taxi and express bus operators were facing rising costs, adding that the last fare review for both was in 2009.

“We took into account the needs of the operators and the public (in coming up with these new fares),” he told reporters at SPAD headquarters here.

Teksi 1Malaysia (TEKS1M) cabs – consisting exclusively of the brown Proton Exora – are the only taxis to have the flagfall rate raised from RM3 to RM4.

The hike in taxi fares does not cover airport limos and executive taxis (typically blue in colour), and is limited to Peninsular Malaysia.

According to SPAD, taxi fares would be reviewed each year based on operating cost changes.

Although the increase in fares took immediate effect, taxis could only charge the new rates after the meter had been recalibrated.

SPAD chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Mohd Kamal said it would take one to two months for all taxis to use this new setting.

“There’s a panel of service providers they can go to. We have asked them to increase (operating) capacitym,” he said.

SPAD said that senior citizens, the disabled and children below 12 years old would continue to enjoy the 25% discount on express bus fares.

On train fares, Syed Hamid said SPAD had given its approval to KTM Bhd and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to set new rates covering LRT, KTM Komuter, KTM Intercity and KL Monorail.

According to SPAD, the Ampang and Kelana Jaya LRT Line fares have not been reviewed for the past 19 and 17 years respectively. Monorail, KTM Komuter and KTM Intercity fares have remained the same for 12, 12 and 25 years respectively.

Mohd Nur said the fares of stage buses would not be increased now or in the near future.

“This is because low-income earners rely on stage buses for transport, and they cannot afford to pay more,” he said.

He added that the Government would cover stage bus costs.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~