- CBTC to be installed on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System
- First case where CBTC technology is used on a cross border link
- Rail line will ease current congestion, improve cross-border connectivity, and bolster economic activity in the region.

Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract by RTS Operations to design, install and commission a Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signaling system and Platform Screen Door System on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit (RTS) Link. This will be the first ever case of CBTC technology being used on a cross border rail link. The 4 km system connecting Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Woodlands, Singapore will be operated by RTS Operations, a joint venture between Singapore rail operator SMRT and Malaysian public transport firm Prasarana. Once completed, the RTS Link will be able to transport an estimated 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction, helping ease current congestion at existing border entry points, improving cross-border connectivity and bolstering economic activity in the region. The line will also be equipped with GoA 4, the highest grade of automation that allows for trains to be automatically controlled and operated.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to provide our state-of-the-art signaling technology for this important regional project that will deliver a vital transportation link for the almost 300,000 people who cross the Malaysian-Singapore border daily for work,” said Andre Rodenbeck, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. “The RTS Link will be the first ever cross border system to be equipped with CBTC technology, which will allow it to operate with superior availability, reliability and passenger experience, and further underscores our leading position in the field for delivering automated signaling systems.”
For this project, Siemens Mobility will utilize its Trainguard MT solution to install CBTC technology on 4 km of rail line, as well as at one station and control center (OCC) on each side of the border. In addition, platform screen doors will be installed at both stations and a depot will be established on the Malaysia side that will be able to accomodate eight four-car trainsets. Trainguard MT is the Siemens Mobility high-performance CBTC system which lets operators maximize their network capacity and throughput. The radio-based technology provides real-time data on vehicle position and speed conditions, allowing system operators to safely increase the number of vehicles on a rail line.

This project builds on the already well-established relationship Siemens Mobility has with Singapore and Malaysia that includes providing the signalling for multiple mass transit projects in Singapore, including the recent contract award for the installation of an automatic train control signaling system on the Jurong Region Line. In Malaysia, Siemens Mobility is currently working on implementing a Trainguard MT signalling system for the Klang Valley LRT Line 3.