SOUTHEAST ASIA CONSTRUCTION15 Oct 2023
Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link project wins 2023 Going Digital Award

AECOM Perunding Sdn Bhd has been named the winner of the 2023 Going Digital Award in Infrastructure (Rail and Transit) for the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System Link project, located in Malaysia and Singapore.

All finalists presented their projects at the 2023 Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards event in Singapore before global press and 12 independent jury panels. The jurors determined the winners of the 12 award categories from 36 finalists that were shortlisted from over 300 nominations submitted by 235 organisations from 51 countries.

Hosted by Bentley Systems, the event was held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 11 to 12 October. This annual awards programme honours the extraordinary work of Bentley software users advancing infrastructure design, construction and operations throughout the world.

Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link

The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is a cross-border project that will connect Johor Bahru in Malaysia with Woodlands, Singapore. Featuring stations in both countries, each with customs, immigration and quarantine facilities, the RTS will ease traffic congestion by reducing the number of cars using the Johor-Singapore Causeway, providing greener transportation for around 10,000 passengers per hour.

AECOM is delivering the RTS Link and faced several challenges on this rail project spanning two countries. To facilitate collaborative workflows and establish optimal project delivery, the team wanted to adopt a digital twin approach.

Leveraging Bentley’s integrated digital modelling and analysis applications, AECOM established a connected data environment through ProjectWise to optimise planning, design and construction. The team developed a reality mesh from drone-captured images, accelerating survey and processing fivefold.

Applying Bentley software automated workflows, ensured structural integrity and saved 50% in drafting time. The digital twin solution provided an accurate, holistic view of the cross-border rail project, meeting technical requirements for both countries while reducing rework.

Other award winners from the Asia region include:

Structural Engineering
Hyundai Engineering
Automated Design of Civil and Architectural Structures with STAAD API
Seoul, South Korea

Process and Power Generation
Shenyang Aluminum & Magnesium Engineering & Research Institute Co Ltd (SAMI)
Digital Twin Application Project of Electrolytic Aluminum Engineering of Chinalco China Resources
Lvliang, Shanxi, China

Transmission and Distribution
Powerchina Hubei Electric Engineering Co Ltd
Full Lifecycle Digital Application on Xianning Chibi 500-kV Substation Project
Xianning, Hubei, China

For the full list of winners, click here.

Image credits:
Image 1: AECOM Perunding Sdn Bhd
Image 2 & 5: Bentley Systems

Note: Singapore and Malaysia held a bilateral ceremony on 30 July 2020 to mark the official resumption of the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link project. It is planned to open for service at the end of 2026SEAC has published several updates on this project, which can be viewed here.