Johor Bahru ↔ Singapore by Public Transport (2026)
The Causeway between Johor Bahru and Woodlands is one of the busiest land crossings in the world — ICA counted more than 598,000 travellers on a single day in June 2026. Without a car you have two real choices today: the five-minute KTM Shuttle Tebrau train, or one of the cross-border buses. The new RTS Link train is built but not yet carrying passengers.
Before you go: foreigners entering Malaysia submit the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) within 3 days before arrival; everyone entering Singapore except Singapore citizens, PRs and long-term pass holders submits the free SG Arrival Card (MyICA app or ICA website) within 3 days before arrival. Malaysians need the SG Arrival Card too.
Option 1 — KTM Shuttle Tebrau (train)
A short train from JB Sentral to Woodlands Train Checkpoint, about five minutes across the Strait. You clear Malaysian exit at JB Sentral and Singapore immigration at Woodlands.
| Route | Runs | Stops | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST | Woodlands CIQ ↔ JB Sentral | 2 | Stops & times |
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Fare | JB → Woodlands RM5. Woodlands → JB RM5 for Malaysians, S$5 for others. No concessions. |
| Trips | 31 a day on the 1 Aug 2026 timetable — 18 from JB (05:00–22:45), 13 from Woodlands (08:30–23:45). |
| Booking | KTMB website or app, or the counter. Passport details are required; the passport needs at least 30 days' validity. |
| Gates close | 10 min before departure at JB Sentral, 20 min at Woodlands. |
Peak-hour trains sell out, so book as early as you can. The shuttle will stop running within six months of the RTS Link opening.
Option 2 — cross-border buses
Buses take you to the checkpoint on each side; you get off with your bags to clear immigration, then board the next bus of the same service. Allow for queues at both checkpoints.
| Bus | Singapore end | Malaysia end |
|---|---|---|
| CW1 Causeway Link | Kranji MRT (NSL) | JB CIQ |
| CW2 Causeway Link | Queen Street Terminal (city centre) | JB CIQ |
| CW5 Causeway Link | Newton Circus | JB CIQ |
| 170 SBS Transit | Queen Street | Larkin Sentral |
| 170X SBS Transit | Kranji MRT | JB |
| 160 SBS Transit | Jurong Town Hall | JB |
| 950 SMRT | Woodlands | JB |
- Causeway Link is cashless since 1 October 2026 — pay with a contactless Visa/Mastercard, a ManjaLink card, EZ-Link at Singapore stops, or the LUGO app.
- SBS Transit and SMRT buses charge Singapore distance fares; contactless cards are charged in SGD.
- Some Singapore-run services only reach JB Sentral at limited times and otherwise end at the JB checkpoint — check SBS Transit or SMRT for the current pattern before relying on one.
- Boarding a Singapore-bound bus at Larkin Sentral carries a terminal fee (RM2 from July 2026).
On the Johor side, myBAS buses link JB Sentral and Larkin with the rest of the city:
| Route | Runs | Stops | |
|---|---|---|---|
| J10 | Terminal Bas Kota Tinggi ↔ JB Sentral | 53 | Stops & times |
| J13 | Larkin Sentral ↔ JB Sentral | 22 | Stops & times |
| J15 | SOGO Mid Valley ↔ JB Sentral | 19 | Stops & times |
| J30 | Terminal Kulai ↔ JB Sentral | 51 | Stops & times |
| J40 | GP Sentral ↔ Larkin Sentral | 58 | Stops & times |
Coming next — the RTS Link
The RTS Link is a 4 km shuttle train between Bukit Chagar in JB and Woodlands North, where it connects to the Thomson–East Coast Line (https://public.kaynx1.com/route/sg-rail/TEL). Each trip takes about five minutes, and immigration for both countries is done once, at the station you leave from.
- Status: not open. On 2 October 2026 LTA and Malaysia's MOT said passenger service is now targeted for February 2027, subject to final testing, safety certification and approval by both governments.
- Fare: not announced yet. Ministers have floated an indicative figure, but nothing is official.
We'll add RTS Link times to the live tracker once the service starts.
Beating the queues
- Into Singapore is heaviest on weekday mornings (about 5–8am); into JB, weekday evenings (about 5–10pm), plus Friday nights, weekends and school or public holidays.
- On holiday peaks, ICA has warned of waits of up to three hours. Travel early morning or late evening if you can.
- At the Woodlands and Tuas bus halls you can scan a MyICA QR code instead of your passport — except first-time foreign visitors, who show their passport.
- Many passports can use Malaysia's autogates at the JB checkpoints once you've submitted the MDAC.
