Johor Bahru’s push toward an elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (E-ART) network is shaped by a clear lesson from earlier planning. The Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit (IMBRT), later rebranded as the Iskandar Rapid Transit (IRT), began as a ground-level bus rapid transit concept with trunk, direct, and feeder corridors. The project framework was later updated to integrate trackless, rubber-tyred Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) smart trams to boost operational capacity. But the ground-level configuration was officially cancelled by the Johor state government in mid-2024 after traffic impact assessments indicated that dedicating existing road lanes to surface transit would worsen urban traffic congestion.
In May 2026, Malaysia’s Cabinet approved a restructured RM10 billion Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (E-ART) system to succeed the surface-level plan, with the same RM10 billion figure also reported as S$3.2 billion. The elevated approach is meant to isolate the transit line from regular vehicular traffic and avoid disrupting existing traffic flow in dense urban areas. Transport Minister Anthony Loke described ART as trackless, running on rubber tyres like a bus, and comprising a series of articulated sections to increase passenger capacity. The E-ART proposal is also framed as a practical response to Johor Bahru congestion concerns as cross-border travel patterns evolve.
How the Elevated E-ART Network Fits Johor Bahru’s Growth Corridors
Planning details cited in the Draft Johor Bahru Local Plan 2035 (RTJB 2035) describe an automated rapid-transit network using driverless, rubber-wheeled vehicles on dedicated elevated guideways. Under that framework, four primary corridors are proposed across Johor Bahru’s major growth axes: Skudai, Tebrau, Iskandar Puteri, and Pasir Gudang. Capacity guidance cited by Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) puts the system at about 5,000–12,000 passengers per hour per direction. Bukit Chagar (JB Sentral) in the city centre is positioned as the main interchange hub, integrating the E-ART with the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link and the city’s broader transit ecosystem.
Delivery and timing are being shaped by process as much as engineering. According to Loke, the E-ART will be implemented under the supervision of the Public Private Partnership Unit (Ukas) via a public-private partnership (PPP) model, rather than through the Ministry of Transport’s tender procurement process. Ukas is conducting a final assessment covering technical aspects, pricing, and proposals before any letter of award is issued. RTJB 2035 does not specify a precise implementation timeline, but it notes that a Request for Proposal was reportedly issued in March 2025, route alignments were being finalised by August 2025, and the state targets awarding the project concession by the end of 2025.
The elevated network is also positioned as a dispersal system for cross-border passenger volumes arriving at the Bukit Chagar terminal of the RTS Link. One property-focused source states the RTS is set to commence operations in January 2027 and can transport up to 10,000 passengers per hour each way, and it argues the E-ART will help distribute that commuter volume across Johor Bahru and surrounding suburbs. A separate analysis notes the RTS is expected to begin operations by early-2027 and describes the E-ART as the crucial dispersal network for commuters arriving via the RTS. Taken together, the plan presents the Johor Bahru ART system as a new urban mobility model built around grade separation, interchanges, and corridor-based growth management.
What is Johor Bahru’s ART system in the current E-ART plan?
How much funding was approved for the Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit project?
What passenger capacity is the E-ART designed to handle?
Which corridors are proposed under the Johor Bahru Local Plan 2035 framework?
How will the E-ART project be delivered and assessed?
