Singapore task force to help local businesses prepare for RTS Link with Malaysia ahead of 2026 opening
SINGAPORE, Oct 31 — Singapore is planning tailored support programmes and infrastructure upgrades to help merchants in the island’s north prepare for the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, which is set to begin operations by the end of 2026.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said a government task force is looking into ways to adapt existing schemes to the conditions in the north, Singapore-based news outlet CNA reported.
“What might be fresh and what might be new is: how do we make these programmes even more tailored to the conditions in the north?” he was quoted as saying after meeting residents and merchants in Marsiling-Yew Tee on Wednesday.
Tan said merchants have asked for improvements such as canopies, covered linkways, playgrounds, and more carparks to attract visitors and improve accessibility.
“We are going into quite minute detail to find out what are the specific challenges and opportunities in the north, and then we can tailor these national programmes specifically to the north,” he was quoted as saying.
The RTS Link will connect Johor Bahru to Woodlands North MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line.
CNA reported that around the station, the Singapore government plans to develop new “flexible” industrial spaces for firms tapping into the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong previously announced plans for 4,000 new public housing units near Admiralty Park, with more homes and improved transport links across Kranji and Sembawang.
Tan acknowledged that many merchants fear the new link will make it easier for Singaporeans to shop in Johor Bahru, affecting local businesses.
“I think that’s very understandable.
“Whether the people coming from Malaysia will spend at the shops, particularly in the northern area, and whether Singaporeans when they travel when it’s more convenient to go across to Johor, whether that will result in lower spending,” he was quoted as saying.
He added that while such concerns were anticipated, some merchants are also excited about the potential increase in Malaysian visitors to northern Singapore.
The task force chaired by Tan will submit its recommendations in the first half of 2026.
