Singapore and Malaysia are looking at the possibility of having two different services on their cross-border high speed rail (HSR) network.

According to Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT), the two countries are considering to open an express non-stop service and a transit one.

Singapore proposed the latter service, which will stop at several stations in Malaysia and primarily serve commuters within Malaysia, and be operated separately from the express non-stop HSR service.

A road connecting Singapore and Malaysia

This will give Malaysia autonomy over the transit service to serve its domestic traveling demands, the MOT said.

The CEO of MyHSR Corp. Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal said the transit stations could be located at Bandar, Seremban, Melaka, Muar, Batu Pahat, and Nusajaya in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the terminus will be placed in Singapore’s Jurong East, he added.

The transit service could take about two hours for passengers to travel between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, while the duration for non-stop HSR service is an hour and a half, he said.

The 350-km rail route worth around 11 billion USD was initiated in 2013 and due to be completed by 2020.

The network, which is expected to provide a stimulus for the two countries’ economic cooperation, could be finished later than the scheduled time due to its complexity, as agreed by both the Singaporean and Malaysian Prime Ministers.

(Source: VNA)