Johor ART Awarded to DOM-MMC: Three Corridors, 32 Stations, RM7 Billion Transit System

CRRC ART trainset at Dataran Putrajaya — same vehicle family proposed for Johor ART — A CRRC ART trainset at Dataran Putrajaya, February 2024. The RTJB 2035 plan originally proposed deploying a similar vehicle family for Johor's ART corridors, though final technology selection is under review (see below).
Source: Wikimedia Commons / angys, CC BY-SA 4.0

DOM-MMC Consortium Awarded the Johor ART Project

On 5 May 2026, the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) under the Prime Minister's Office issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to a consortium led by DOM Industries, MMC Engineering, Nylex (Malaysia), and Thailand's BTS Group Holdings — the operator of Bangkok's MRT system. The award was disclosed via Bursa Malaysia on 11 May 2026.

The project — estimated at approximately RM7 billion in initial scoping documents, with some recent reports citing figures up to RM10 billion — is the long-anticipated mass-transit system for Greater Johor Bahru. Implementation remains subject to the execution of definitive agreements between the consortium and the federal government.

The Plan at a Glance (Per RTJB 2035 Draft)

According to the Draft Rancangan Tempatan Johor Bahru 2035 (RTJB 2035) — the official MBJB / PLANMalaysia local plan, currently in public consultation — the system comprises:

Four planned corridors: Skudai, Iskandar Puteri, Tebrau, and Pasir Gudang. The DOM-MMC LoI is reported to cover the first three; Pasir Gudang remains a longer-term proposal.
32 stations across approximately 48.58 km of elevated guideway.
JB Sentral (Bukit Chagar) as the central terminus, integrating with the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link.
Iskandar Sentral as a secondary interchange (KTM Komuter / Skudai ART).
Phase 1 target launch: January 2027, alongside the RTS Link's commencement.
Capacity: 5,000–12,000 passengers per hour per direction.

Johor ART Network — 3 ART Lines + RTS Link

From RTJB 2035 Draft, Rajah 4.4.14

Technology Under Review: ART or Rail?

The RTJB 2035 specification (Jadual 4.4.11) describes Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (E-ART) — driverless, rubber-tyred vehicles guided by LiDAR and optical sensors on dedicated elevated lanes above existing highways. The accompanying cross-section diagram (Rajah 4.4.15) shows mass-transit lanes on a multi-level elevated highway structure.

However, on 12 May 2026, Free Malaysia Today reported that the project may have shifted from elevated ART to a rail-based system. Transport consultant Rosli Khan noted that the original Request for Proposal specified "a fully-automated E-ART system running on rubber tyres," which differs fundamentally from rail technology. UKAS has not issued an official clarification at the time of writing.

Implication for readers: the corridor alignment is settled per RTJB 2035, but the actual vehicle technology may differ from what was originally specified. Final technical specifications await UKAS announcement.

Iskandar Malaysia BRT route map — three-corridor predecessor to the current ART plan — Historical reference: the cancelled IMBRT (2018) plan showed the same three core corridors — Skudai, Tebrau, Iskandar Puteri — converging at JB Sentral. The RTJB 2035 ART adds a fourth Pasir Gudang corridor and reorganises stations. Final ART station list per UKAS announcement.
Source: Wikimedia Commons / angys, based on OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

What This Means for Iskandar Puteri

The Iskandar Puteri Line will run along the area's southern coastal corridor, with planned stations at Anjung, Horizon Hills, Perling, Sungai Melayu — before joining the shared trunk at Teluk Danga and continuing east via Taman Tasek, Larkin, and Kebun Teh to JB Sentral. The Skudai Line, serving northern Johor Bahru, also merges with the Iskandar Puteri Line at Teluk Danga.

For residents and commuters, the most significant change is cross-border travel: from January 2027, riders should be able to board the Iskandar Puteri Line, transfer at JB Sentral, and continue to Woodlands in Singapore via the RTS Link — a single-transfer journey avoiding causeway congestion. As with all major infrastructure projects, the practical impact on travel times and the property market will depend on implementation quality and the final station list confirmed by UKAS.

What's Next?

The DOM-MMC consortium will now negotiate definitive agreements with the federal government. The Johor state government has also requested a re-briefing from UKAS to confirm the technology choice. Construction is expected to commence in mid-to-late 2026, with the Phase 1 corridor targeting passenger service by January 2027 — coinciding with the RTS Link's commencement of operations.

Meeleh will continue tracking this story. For questions about Johor real estate, please contact our team.

Sources & Further Reading

Image credits: Cover photo — CRRC ART at Dataran Putrajaya (POD 2024), © angys, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. IMBRT route map — © angys, OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Network diagram — Meeleh-produced schematic based on RTJB 2035 Draft Rajah 4.4.14.
Article published 13 May 2026. All figures subject to revision pending final UKAS announcements.