Yahoo Finance 
Singapore, Malaysia to sign HSR agreement next month
Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian PM Najib Razak are to witness the signing of the agreement in early December.
Singapore and Malaysia are set to sign a bilateral agreement early next month for the development of the long-awaited high-speed rail (HSR), which will connect the two countries, reported Today Online.
“We are working towards signing the bilateral agreement on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail at the next leaders’ retreat on 5 December 2016,” said a spokesperson from Singapore’s Transport Ministry.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak first announced the rail project in 2013. Diplomats told The New Straits Times that both leaders are expected to witness the signing of the bilateral agreement at their annual retreat in Johor Bahru.
The draft agreement will set out the project’s detailed costs, and revenue-sharing aspects. It will also touch on whether a tunnel or bridge will be built across the Johor Strait in order to link the HSR.
Construction of the HSR is expected to start in 2018, with operations slated to begin in 2026. Featuring terminus stations in Jurong East and Bandar Malaysia, the 350km double-track rail will reduce travel time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to 90 minutes.
Notably, rail passengers will, in future, be able to clear customs and immigration at their point of departure.
A bilateral committee with representatives from the two countries will be formed upon the signing of the agreement to manage and regulate aspects of the HSR that might affect cross-border services. Aside from this, the committee will also provide regulatory oversight for the rail project.
Cheryl Marie Tay, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories, email cheryl@propertyguru.com.sg
