Singapore and Malaysia signed a historic bilateral agreement on Dec 13 to build a high-speed-rail line between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The construction of the 350km line is expected to be completed by 2026. Of the entire line, only 15km will lie in Singapore.

There will be a total of eight stations between Singapore and Malaysia, with the two terminal stations located in Jurong East in Singapore and Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. The other six stations will be in Putrajaya, Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri.

According to the agreement, the tracks will go across the Straits of Johor via a bridge near the Second Link. The bridge will have a height clearance of 25m above sea level to allow for the passage of ships.

Once completed, the HSR link will cut travel time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to 90 minutes, compared with four hours by car.

The signing also marks the move from planning to implementation phase. A bilateral committee comprising representatives from both countries will now be formed to manage aspects of the project that might affect cross-border services.

Both governments will be responsible for developing, constructing and maintaining civil infrastructure and stations within their own countries, which will be undertaken by MyHSR Corp in Malaysia and the Land Transport Authority in Singapore.

The joint tender for the system will open in 4Q2018 and the two countries are expected to make a decision on who to award the rail system to by end-2018.

A joint development partner will also be appointed next year to assist in the development of the HSR project. The JDP will provide advice on operational, technical and procurement matters relating to the high-speed railway systems and operations.