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Great news for Johor Bahru-Singapore commuters. Launched yesterday, KTM's new Shuttle Tebrau train service between JB Sentral and Woodlands Checkpoint takes just five minutes.

Tickets for the first two trains leaving JB Sentral on Wednesday morning - at 5.30am and 7am - were sold out. There are a total of seven trips from Johor and another seven from Woodlands every day. Each trip can carry about 320 passengers, the Straits Times reports.

The departure times from JB Sentral are 5.30am, 7am, 8.30am, 4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm and 10pm. From Woodlands, it's 6.30am, 8am, 9.30am, 5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm and 11pm. Unsurprisingly, trains from Woodlands to JB in the morning were relatively empty in contrast. ST boarded the 6.30am train and counted less than 10 passengers onboard.

Shuttle Tebrau mainly serves Malaysians working and studying in Singapore, and passengers said the shuttle - which costs RM5 from JB and S$5 (RM13.90) from Woodlands - was more efficient than taking the bus, which could take anywhere between 45 minutes to over two hours depending on traffic.

With the new shuttle service, Singapore-bound trains from KL Sentral, Butterworth and Gemas, which previously terminated at Woodlands station, will now end at JB Sentral.