Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the first of two civil contracts for the construction of Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link to Penta-Ocean Construction of Japan.

This contract, valued at S$933 million (US$700 million), covers the construction of the RTS Link Woodlands North station, tunnels and the customs, immigration, and quarantine (CIQ) building in Singapore.

Construction for the RTS Link is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2021, with passenger service commencing at the end of 2026. The second civil contract for this project, which includes the construction of the RTS Link viaduct, will be awarded in the first quarter of 2021. 

The RTS Link is a rail shuttle service between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru. It will support a peak capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

The CIQ facilities will be co-located at Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations. Upon arrival in Singapore, passengers can continue their journey by transferring to the TEL Woodlands North Station.

Penta-Ocean Construction has wide-ranging experience in infrastructure and building projects in Singapore. The company is currently constructing the Bright Hill and Orchard stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line.

Penta-Ocean is one of Japan's oldest civil engineering firms. Its previous contracts included the Haneda Airport Runway D project and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong.