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RTS Link vs the Causeway: what does your crossing cost?

Train, bus or car. Put in how you actually cross and see the money and the hours, per month. Every number below is yours to change.

The RTS fare is a guess. It hasn't been announced. The S$6 default comes from an early ministerial remark, not a decision. Try other values, and update it when the real fare is published.

Your crossing

Return crossings per month Two one-way trips = one crossing

People travelling together Affects driving only

Your time is worth, per hour Set 0 to compare cash only

Show results in

Exchange rate 1 SGD = ? MYR. Use today's rate

The RTS train

RTS fare, one way (S$) Not announced yet, so this is a guess

Immigration queue, one way (min)

Getting to and from the stations, one way (min)

Feeder transport, one way (S$) MRT, bus, Grab at either end

The bus across the Causeway

Bus fare, one way (S$)

Clearance plus waiting, one way (min) Both checkpoints

On the bus, one way (min)

Getting to and from the bus, one way (min)

Driving

Tolls, fuel, VEP and parking, per return crossing (S$) Everything you pay to take the car over and back

Clearance, one way (min)

Driving time, one way (min)

How to read the result

Cash per month is the money you spend: fares, getting to the station, tolls, fuel, parking. Driving costs are split by the number of people in the car.
Time is door to door, both ways: getting to the station, queueing and the ride itself.
Total adds the two together using your hourly value. Leave that at zero and you're comparing cash only.

Where the time really goes

Five minutes on the train against thirty-five on the bus sounds like an easy call, but that's not where most of the time goes. On the Causeway it goes on clearance and waiting. On the RTS it goes on getting to Woodlands North or Bukit Chagar, plus one immigration queue.

So what matters is how far you are from the two stations. If you live in Woodlands and work in central JB, the train wins easily. Going from Tampines to Tebrau, it's much closer, and the calculator will show you which side you're on.

Look at the monthly figure too. S$3 a trip doesn't sound like much, but over 22 working days it's about S$130 a month.

Questions about the calculator

Why do I have to enter the fare myself?

Because there's no official RTS fare yet. It's expected by the end of 2026. The S$6 default is a guess so the calculator has something to work with. Change it, and change it again when the real fare comes out.

Are the queue times realistic?

They're starting points. Causeway clearance changes a lot by day, time and direction, so put in what you actually see. If you cross on Friday evenings and Tuesday mornings, try both.

What does "your time is worth" do?

It turns hours into money so time and cost can be compared together. Leave it at zero to compare cash only.

Is driving always worse?

No. Driving costs are split across everyone in the car, so a family of four or five can come out ahead. Driving tends to lose for one person crossing at peak hours.

Station guideCountdown and what's confirmed What's aroundStepping out at Bukit Chagar FAQPassports, fares, parking

Project facts (4 km line, about five minutes, immigration at departure, February 2027 target) are from LTA, Malaysia's Ministry of Transport and RTS Operations. Default values are starting points, not measurements. Spotted a mistake? support@bukitchagar.sg.

Questions, corrections or partnerships?Write to support@bukitchagar.sg