Progress for High-speed Rail Project Connecting Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether he can provide a further update on the progress of the high-speed rail project that will connect Singapore and Kuala Lumpur; and (b) what will the Ministry be doing in the next few years to ensure timely completion of the project.

Mr Lui Tuck Yew: Mdm Speaker, Prime Minister Lee announced the location of the Singapore terminus of the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail last week. We are deep in discussions with the Malaysians on the technical, security, commercial and regulatory aspects, having completed our own preliminary studies into these areas. As both Prime Minister Lee and Prime Minister Najib noted, this is a challenging and complicated project and we should take the time required to plan well and implement well. Both countries are fully committed to the success of this project.

Mr Christopher de Souza: May I ask the Minister if there is an estimate cost per ticket from Jurong East to Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur back on the express version of the train?

Mr Lui Tuck Yew: I thank the Member for his supplementary question. It is too early for us to talk about fares but we have already shared with the Malaysians that we think it is better for the express service between KL and Singapore, and for the transit service that runs from KL through a number of stops before it reaches Singapore, for both these sets of services to be managed separately.