Woodlands train Checkpoint
Encyclopedia
Woodlands Train Checkpoint (abbreviated as WTCP, formerly Wooodlands railway station) is a train checkpoint in Woodlands, Singapore
co-owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
, the Malaysian rail operator, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
(ICA) of Singapore
. Opened as a railway station in the 1920s and renamed Kranji by 1958, it was rebuilt from 1992 to 1997 and reopened as the Singapore immigration checkpoint for rail passengers in 1999. The original 1903 Woodlands station was a terminus adjacent to a jetty some way to the east of the causeway.
Originally there were no boarding facilities, as northbound passengers heading towards Malaysia were required to clear Malaysian Customs and Immigration at Tanjong Pagar railway station
in central Singapore. However, southbound passengers could disembark after clearing Singapore Customs and Immigration, as they had already cleared Malaysian Immigration at Johor Bahru railway station
.
Since 1 July 2011 WTCP has been the southern terminus of the Malaysian rail network, following the agreement to close Tanjong Pagar railway station
.
according to the Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement of 1990
. The ICA ceased operations at Tanjong Pagar and moved into the WTCP on 1 August 1998.
While providing immigration facilities for southbound passengers at Johor Bahru, Malaysian Customs and Immigration for northbound passengers remained at Tanjong Pagar, refusing to relocate to either Woodlands or Johor Bahru. This peculiarity resulted in passengers travelling to Malaysia being granted entry to Malaysia before being granted exit from Singapore, which is contrary to international practice. To circumvent the problem, Malaysian Immigration officers in Tanjong Pagar did not stamp passports, instead scanning them into a computer system and providing a stamped embarkation/disembarkation card, to be retained until leaving Malaysia. This still posed problems for some visitors when leaving Malaysia due to the lack of a physical endorsement in their passports, especially for those who lost the card while in Malaysia.
The border control issues were resolved following the agreement to relocate Tanjong Pagar railway station along with the Malaysian Customs and Immigration to WTCP by 1 July 2011.
Woodlands, Singapore
Woodlands, or the Woodlands New Town , is a suburban town in northern Singapore, part of the North West Community Development Council district...
co-owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
, the Malaysian rail operator, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Singapore Government.-Overview:...
(ICA) of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Opened as a railway station in the 1920s and renamed Kranji by 1958, it was rebuilt from 1992 to 1997 and reopened as the Singapore immigration checkpoint for rail passengers in 1999. The original 1903 Woodlands station was a terminus adjacent to a jetty some way to the east of the causeway.
Originally there were no boarding facilities, as northbound passengers heading towards Malaysia were required to clear Malaysian Customs and Immigration at Tanjong Pagar railway station
Tanjong Pagar railway station
Tanjong Pagar railway station , also called Keppel Road railway station or Singapore railway station, was until 30 June 2011 the southern terminus of the network operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu , the main railway operator in Malaysia. The land on which the station and the KTM railway tracks are...
in central Singapore. However, southbound passengers could disembark after clearing Singapore Customs and Immigration, as they had already cleared Malaysian Immigration at Johor Bahru railway station
Johor Bahru railway station
Johor Bahru railway station was a Malaysian inter-city station.By law, it was the railway immigration control outpost of the Malaysian Customs and Immigration, but immigration facilities were available only for southbound passengers, heading towards Singapore...
.
Since 1 July 2011 WTCP has been the southern terminus of the Malaysian rail network, following the agreement to close Tanjong Pagar railway station
Tanjong Pagar railway station
Tanjong Pagar railway station , also called Keppel Road railway station or Singapore railway station, was until 30 June 2011 the southern terminus of the network operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu , the main railway operator in Malaysia. The land on which the station and the KTM railway tracks are...
.
Border control issues
Until 1998, both Malaysia and Singapore had their customs and immigration facilities for rail passengers at Tanjong Pagar railway station. Singapore decided to relocate its customs and immigration facilities to Woodlands despite Malaysia's unwillingness to relocate the Tanjong Pagar railway stationTanjong Pagar railway station
Tanjong Pagar railway station , also called Keppel Road railway station or Singapore railway station, was until 30 June 2011 the southern terminus of the network operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu , the main railway operator in Malaysia. The land on which the station and the KTM railway tracks are...
according to the Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement of 1990
Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement of 1990
Malaysia–Singapore Points of Agreement of 1990 is an agreement between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia and Singapore over the issue of the future of railway land owned by the Malaysian government through Malayan Railways in Singapore...
. The ICA ceased operations at Tanjong Pagar and moved into the WTCP on 1 August 1998.
While providing immigration facilities for southbound passengers at Johor Bahru, Malaysian Customs and Immigration for northbound passengers remained at Tanjong Pagar, refusing to relocate to either Woodlands or Johor Bahru. This peculiarity resulted in passengers travelling to Malaysia being granted entry to Malaysia before being granted exit from Singapore, which is contrary to international practice. To circumvent the problem, Malaysian Immigration officers in Tanjong Pagar did not stamp passports, instead scanning them into a computer system and providing a stamped embarkation/disembarkation card, to be retained until leaving Malaysia. This still posed problems for some visitors when leaving Malaysia due to the lack of a physical endorsement in their passports, especially for those who lost the card while in Malaysia.
The border control issues were resolved following the agreement to relocate Tanjong Pagar railway station along with the Malaysian Customs and Immigration to WTCP by 1 July 2011.