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Johor to Singapore: Causeway, Second Link and the new RTS Link, what to plan for
Thousands of people cross between Johor and Singapore every day, and many more do it in the year end holidays. There are two road crossings, the Causeway at Woodlands and the Second Link at Tuas, and a rail link, the RTS Link, that is not open yet. This post gathers what the official sources say, what to check before you go, and what PantauSivik can and cannot show. We have no queue data for the checkpoints, so we say so where it matters.
In short: until the RTS Link opens, you cross by road or bus at Woodlands or Tuas. On 2 October 2026 the LTA and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport said the RTS Link is now expected to start passenger service in February 2027, subject to safety certification and approvals. Fares, hours and train frequency have not been announced. ICA expects heavy traffic at both checkpoints in school holidays, so leave extra time and check traffic before you set off.
The two road crossings
The Causeway links Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore with Johor Bahru. The Second Link links Tuas Checkpoint in Singapore with Tanjung Kupang in Johor. In Singapore the BKE leads to Woodlands and the AYE leads to Tuas. Both have heavy traffic at holiday times, and ICA has said that cars departing at peak times waited up to three hours for immigration clearance during the September 2024 school holidays, partly because of tailbacks from Malaysia. That year more than 5 million people crossed in the holiday period, and the busiest day, 6 September 2024, had more than 543,000 crossings. These are ICA's 2024 figures, not this year's, but they show the scale.
Before you set off
These points come from ICA's advisory for the 2024 year end holidays, so check ICA's website for this year's version before you travel.
- SG Arrival Card. Short term visitors must submit it with a health declaration through the MyICA app within three days before arriving.
- Passport. It should have at least six months of validity. Singapore Permanent Residents who renewed their passport should confirm that their Re-Entry Permit was moved to the new one.
- QR code clearance. ICA encourages car and motorcycle travellers to use QR codes instead of passports for faster clearance.
- Foreign vehicles. You need a valid Vehicle Entry Permit and insurance, and unpaid fines can lead to entry being denied.
- Behaviour at the checkpoint. Do not bring prohibited or controlled items, keep to your lane and do not cut queues. Queue cutters can be turned away.
- Think about the bus. ICA suggests cross border bus services as an alternative to driving at busy times.
What the roads to the checkpoints look like
PantauSivik cannot see the queue at a checkpoint, but it does record expressway travel times in Singapore. In our expressway post, covering 17 October to 3 November 2026, the BKE towards Woodlands took about 9 minutes at night and about 18 minutes at 6pm on weekdays, the biggest slowdown of any expressway in proportion. The AYE towards Tuas Checkpoint took about 27 minutes at night and about 34 at 6pm. Those figures stop at Woodlands Centre and at the Tuas Checkpoint approach, so they do not include any wait for immigration. They are weekday figures, and weekends were quicker.
What to check on the day
- ICA and LTA. ICA advises checking LTA's One Motoring website, the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System signs on the BKE and AYE, ICA's Facebook and X accounts, or local radio before you set off.
- PantauSivik Traffic. Open Traffic, check the travel time gauge for the BKE or AYE, and open a camera near your route. Camera images are snapshots, so look at the time on the picture. The traffic guide explains how.
- Public Alerts. Road blocks and incidents appear in the alerts list. See the Public Alerts guide.
- Malaysia mode. Switch the country to Malaysia to see MetMalaysia weather and warnings and the weekly fuel prices. Transit covers the Klang Valley only, not Johor. Update, 12 November 2026: Johor Bahru city buses (BAS.MY) are now in the app, along with Rapid Penang and other cities. See the Malaysia guide.
The RTS Link: what is confirmed
The RTS Link is a rail line of about 4 km between Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore, with two stations. The Star reported in August 2026 that it is designed to carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction and is expected to draw about 40,000 daily passengers.
The timetable has moved. In a joint news release on 2 October 2026, the LTA and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport said RTS Operations expects passenger service to start in February 2027. The release says infrastructure works in both countries are substantially complete and that the extra time is for the remaining testing and commissioning. RTS Operations expects to finish its final system tests and trial runs by 31 December 2026. It then needs a safety certificate from an independent safety assessor, and authorities in both countries must review it before approving passenger service.
So February 2027 is a target, and the date can change. If you are planning a December trip, you will not be able to use the RTS Link.
The RTS Link: what is not announced yet
The 2 October release does not give fares, operating hours, train frequency, ticketing or immigration arrangements. Malaysia's transport minister said in August 2026 that the ticket price and exact opening date will be announced jointly by both countries, because the project is shared, and that fare discussions were still going on. Until then, any fare figure you see is a guess. We will update this post when official details come out.
Planning around the school holidays
Our year end checklist has the Singapore school holiday dates, 21 November to 31 December 2026, and our long weekends post lists the three public holiday weekends. Cross border traffic is likely to be heaviest on the first days of the holiday and on the long weekends, so allow extra time, travel earlier or later in the day, and check conditions before you leave.
What this does not tell us
- We have no checkpoint queue times or Johor traffic data, so we cannot say which crossing or hour is best.
- The ICA advisory we read is dated November 2024, and rules or figures may have changed.
- The RTS Link date is a target set on 2 October 2026 and may change.
- PantauSivik is independent and not affiliated with ICA, the LTA or RTS Operations.
Common questions
When will the RTS Link open?
On 2 October 2026 the Land Transport Authority and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport said RTS Operations expects passenger service to start in February 2027. That depends on independent safety certification and final approvals from both countries. Final system tests and trial runs are due to finish by 31 December 2026.
How much will the RTS Link cost and how often will it run?
Not announced yet. The LTA and Ministry of Transport release of 2 October 2026 does not give fares, operating hours or train frequency. Malaysia's transport minister said in August 2026 that the fare and opening date will be announced jointly by both countries, as reported by The Star.
Which crossing should I use, the Causeway or the Second Link?
The Causeway links Woodlands in Singapore with Johor Bahru, and the Second Link links Tuas with Tanjung Kupang. We do not have queue data for either checkpoint, so we cannot say which is quicker on a given day. Check ICA and LTA traffic information before you set off, and allow extra time on weekends and school holidays.
What do I need to enter Singapore by land?
ICA's advisory says short term visitors must submit the SG Arrival Card with a health declaration through the MyICA app within three days before arriving, and that passports should have at least six months of validity. Foreign vehicles need a valid Vehicle Entry Permit and insurance. Rules can change, so check ICA before you travel.
Does PantauSivik show checkpoint queues or Johor traffic?
No. PantauSivik shows Singapore traffic, including expressway travel times such as the BKE towards Woodlands and the AYE towards Tuas, plus traffic cameras and alerts. Switching to Malaysia shows Klang Valley transit, weather and warnings, and weekly fuel prices, not Johor transit or traffic.
Sources: Land Transport Authority and Malaysia's Ministry of Transport, joint news release of 2 October 2026; Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, advisory for the year end school holidays; The Star, 18 August 2026. All read on 5 November 2026. Expressway travel times are from PantauSivik records of LTA data, 17 October to 3 November 2026. Dates, rules and fares can change, so check the official sources before you travel.
Information in PantauSivik comes from public sources and is there to help you plan. PantauSivik is independent and not affiliated with ICA, the Land Transport Authority or any government agency.
See also: Year end school holidays checklist, Three long weekends coming up, Expressway travel times by hour, Malaysia guide, Traffic cameras and expressway travel times, Public Alerts guide.
