JOHOR BARU: Johor has finalised the track alignment of the high-speed rail link project connecting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad told the New Straits Times that the track would run on the western side of the North-South Expressway whereas KTM Berhad’s track would run on
the eastern side of the expressway.
He said in Johor, the transit stations would be located between Sungai Mati and Bukit Pasir in Muar, Ayer Hitam in Batu Pahat and Nusajaya in Iskandar Malaysia before running across the Johor Straits through the Second Link to Singapore.
The Nusajaya stop, Hasni added, was quite close to the Second Link Expressway in Tanjung Kupang, enabling the track to run parallel with the Second Link when crossing over the straits into the city-state.
“The track alignment is expected to be the main agenda to be discussed during the 11th Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee meeting to be held next month.”
Hasni said the Transport Ministry had already completed its final stage of discussion with stakeholders in Johor, such as the land office, local authorities and district offices, as well as non-governmental organisations.
“One will notice that the track will avoid passing by big cities in Johor. However, all stations would have feeder buses to the nearest cities or towns.
“We will try to avoid passing by private land to minimise land acquisitions.
“At the Nusajaya station, it will be linked to the central business district in Johor Baru and vice versa by transit coaches and existing public transport.”
Hasni said it had not been decided whether there would be direct service between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong jointly announced the 330km project in February last year, which is set to change the land transportation landscape between the two capital cities.
According to transport industry players, the project is expected to affect the shuttle flight service between Changi Airport and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport or Klia2, depending on its fare structure.
This is in view that it may be faster to travel between the two cities by high-speed rail, taking into consideration the time it takes to travel to the airport, the wait before the flight, as well as flight times.