On 21 December 2020, KTM Berhad announced that ETS and KTM Intercity ticket sales for train departures from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021 will be open for sale from 22 December 2020 at 10am, along with a new ETS and KTM Intercity train timetable across the network. Among all the train timings in the .pdf file uploaded onto the KTM website, the most intriguing timetable uploaded during this period, is the return of the full Shuttle Tebrau schedule from 1 January 2021.
Very strangely or impressively, the full pre-COVID Shuttle Tebrau timetable is back, ensuring quick and convenient train shuttles between Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Woodlands CIQ, Singapore.
This is despite the additional restrictions applicable for entry into Singapore especially on the 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at dedicated SHN facilities on both Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) and Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) arrangements, and no free movement through Singapore and Malaysia borders allowed yet.
When searching for Shuttle Tebrau tickets on the KTM Shuttle Tebrau Ticketing System on 22 December 2020 at 10am, no tickets were available for sale in January.
With no other immigration announcement announced by Singapore or Malaysia for 1 January 2021, it is not known if the Shuttle Tebrau will actually run, considering that the Shuttle Tebrau train crew has to clear Singapore immigration on every trip.
Even if it does, it is not known yet if Shuttle Tebrau schedules will be further rationalised due to low passenger numbers, just like the period before all Shuttle Tebrau train services were suspended when COVID kicked in hard just before Movement Control Order and Circuit Breaker.
UPDATE (1 Jan 2021): As expected, the KTM Shuttle Tebrau did not restart on 1 January 2021.
IP block still in place for people outside of Malaysia- Singapore.
No immediate problem for Aussies…lol