Singapore, Malaysia to get connected by new £2.3bn rail bridge

South East Asian countries Singapore and Malaysia announce the construction of a new £2.3 billion high-speed rail link that will cut down the hours-long journey into minutes between them, Express reported.

Singapore and Malaysia are two neighbouring countries that are divided by a narrow stretch of water called the Strait of Johor.

Both countries share significant histories and have similar multiracial populations. With increasing trade between them, frequent travel is becoming a must.

With the help of the new high-speed rail, passengers will be able to reach their destination in merely six minutes.

As per Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke, the construction of the link will be completed by January 1, 2027.

The train is expected to carry 10,000 passengers in an hour in each direction at a speed of nearly 50mph. It will reportedly be 4km long.

At peak times, the expectation is that there will be an available train every 3.6 minutes, according to the manufacturer MRT.

The project has been branded as "one of the most crucial construction projects in the world."

Announcing the project, Singapore Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said the "third land connection, the RTS Link, will make travel between our two countries more convenient and benefit both Singaporeans and Malaysians."