Tower Transit Bus Service 980

Tower Transit Bus Service 980 is a trunk route between Sembawang Interchange and Lorong 1 Geylang Terminal, passing through Admiralty Drive, Sembawang Road, Upper Thomson, Thomson, Kampong Java, Little India, Middle Road and Beach Road.

Bus Service 980 was enhanced with extended operating hours & increased frequency from 17 Dec 2023 as part of the TEL3 Bus Service Changes.

980
58009 Sembawang Int B1B NS11 Sembawang Vista
58151 Bef Sembawang Stn NS11 Canberra Rd
58111 Blk 351 CP Canberra Rd
58421 Blk 353 Admiralty Dr
58311 Blk 354 CP Sembawang Dr
58251 Sun Plaza/Sembawang Stn NS11 Sembawang Dr
58291 Blk 317 Sembawang Dr
58391 Blk 303 Sembawang Ave
58029 The Nautical Sembawang Rd
58019 Aft Sembawang Shop Ctr Sembawang Rd
57139 Aft Jln Kemuning Sembawang Rd
57129 Blk 114 Sembawang Rd
57119 Blk 101 Sembawang Rd
57089 Blk 713 Sembawang Rd
57079 Khatib Camp Sembawang Rd
57069 Opp Dieppe Barracks Sembawang Rd
57059 Opp Sembawang Air Base Sembawang Rd
57049 Opp Nee Soon HQ 22 SIB Sembawang Rd
57039 Spiritual Grace Presby Ch Sembawang Rd
57029 Aft The Springside Sembawang Rd
57019 Springleaf Nature Pk Upp Thomson Rd
56099 Springleaf Stn Exit 2 TE4 Upp Thomson Rd
56089 Aft SLE Upp Thomson Rd
56079 Aft Old Upp Thomson Rd Upp Thomson Rd
56069 Bef Tagore Dr Upp Thomson Rd
56059 Bef Tagore Rd Upp Thomson Rd
56049 Meadows @ Peirce Upp Thomson Rd
56039 Aft Yio Chu Kang Rd Upp Thomson Rd
56029 Bef Sembawang Hills Fc Upp Thomson Rd
56019 Bef Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 Upp Thomson Rd
53099 Aft Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 Upp Thomson Rd
53089 Faber Gdn Upp Thomson Rd
53079 Flame Tree Pk Upp Thomson Rd
53069 Aft Windsor Pk Rd Upp Thomson Rd
53059 Upp Thomson Stn Exit 2 TE8 Upp Thomson Rd
53049 Bef Jln Todak TE8 Upp Thomson Rd
53039 Thomson CC Upp Thomson Rd
53029 Shunfu Est Upp Thomson Rd
53019 Opp St. Theresa's Hme Upp Thomson Rd
51069 Mt Alvernia Hosp Thomson Rd
51059 Aft Toa Payoh Rise Thomson Rd
51049 SLF Cplx Thomson Rd
51039 Opp S'pore Polo Club Thomson Rd
51029 Opp Old Police Academy Thomson Rd
51019 Thomson Flyover Thomson Rd
50059 Opp Thomson Med Ctr Thomson Rd
50049 Opp Novena Lodge Thomson Rd
50038 Novena Stn NS20 Thomson Rd
50029 Opp United Sq Thomson Rd
50019 Parish Of Christ Ch Keng Lee Rd
40109 Opp KK Women & Child Hosp Kg Java Rd
40019 Little India Stn NE7DT12 Bt Timah Rd
07539 Bef Rochor Stn Exit B DT13 Sungei Rd
07518 Opp NAFA Campus 3 Bencoolen St
07569 Aft Waterloo St Middle Rd
01639 Bef Beach Rd Middle Rd
01621 Opp Shaw Twrs Beach Rd
01511 Opp The Gateway Beach Rd
01521 Opp Plaza Parkroyal Beach Rd
01411 Opp St. John HQ Beach Rd
01421 Opp Golden Mile Cplx Beach Rd
01341 Southbank Crawford St
80011 Aft Padang Jeringau Kallang Rd
80009 Lor 1 Geylang Ter EW10 Lor 1 Geylang
80009 Lor 1 Geylang Ter EW10 Lor 1 Geylang
80029 Bef Kg Bugis Kallang Rd
01339 Bef Crawford Bridge Crawford St
01329 Blk 8 Nth Bridge Rd
01239 Sultan Plaza Jln Sultan
01529 Plaza Parkroyal Beach Rd
01519 The Gateway Beach Rd
01631 Aft Beach Rd Middle Rd
01112 Opp Bugis Stn Exit C EW12DT14 Victoria St
07551 Fu Lu Shou Cplx Rochor Rd
07531 Rochor Stn DT13 Rochor Canal Rd
40011 Little India Stn Exit A NE7DT12 Bt Timah Rd
40101 Kk Women & Children Hosp Kg Java Rd
50011 Opp Parish Of Christ Ch Kg Java Rd
50021 United Sq/Bef Novena Stn NS20 Thomson Rd
50031 Opp Novena Ch NS20 Thomson Rd
50041 Novena Lodge Thomson Rd
50051 Thomson Med Ctr Thomson Rd
51011 Opp Tan Tong Meng Twr Thomson Rd
51021 Old Police Academy Thomson Rd
51031 S'pore Polo Club Thomson Rd
51051 Aft Andrew Rd Thomson Rd
51071 Macritchie Reservoir Thomson Rd
53011 St. Theresa's Hme Upp Thomson Rd
53021 Lakeview Est Upp Thomson Rd
53041 Bef Thomson Ridge TE8 Upp Thomson Rd
53051 Upp Thomson Stn Exit 5 TE8 Upp Thomson Rd
53061 Bef Windsor Pk Rd Upp Thomson Rd
53071 Opp Flame Tree Pk Upp Thomson Rd
53081 Opp Faber Gdn Upp Thomson Rd
53091 Bef Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 Upp Thomson Rd
56011 Bef Adana @ Thomson Upp Thomson Rd
56021 Opp Sembawang Hills Fc Upp Thomson Rd
56031 Bef Yio Chu Kang Rd Upp Thomson Rd
56041 Opp Meadows @ Peirce Upp Thomson Rd
56051 Opp Tagore Rd Upp Thomson Rd
56061 Aft Tagore Dr Upp Thomson Rd
56071 Bef Old Upp Thomson Rd Upp Thomson Rd
56081 Bef SLE Upp Thomson Rd
56091 Springleaf Stn Exit 3 TE4 Upp Thomson Rd
57011 Opp Springleaf Nature Pk Upp Thomson Rd
57021 Forest Hills Condo Sembawang Rd
57031 Nee Soon Driclad Ctr Sembawang Rd
57041 Nee Soon HQ 22 SIB Sembawang Rd
57051 Aft Sembawang Air Base Sembawang Rd
57061 Dieppe Barracks Sembawang Rd
57071 Opp Khatib Camp Sembawang Rd
57081 Opp Blk 713 Sembawang Rd
57111 Opp Blk 101 Sembawang Rd
57121 Opp Blk 115B Sembawang Rd
57131 Opp Jln Kemuning Sembawang Rd
58011 Opp Sembawang Shop Ctr Sembawang Rd
58021 Opp The Nautical Sembawang Rd
58399 Opp Blk 303 Sembawang Ave
58299 Blk 328 Sembawang Dr
58259 Opp Sun Plaza Sembawang Dr
58319 Blk 357C Sembawang Dr
58429 Bet Blks 415/416 Admiralty Dr
58119 Blk 502A Canberra Rd
58159 Aft Admiral Hill Canberra Rd
58009 Sembawang Int NS11 Sembawang Vista
Route Overview
Route WAB_logo_20px Sembawang Bus Interchange ↔ Lorong 1 Geylang Bus Terminal
Passes Through Sembawang Dr, Sembawang Rd, Upp Thomson Rd, Thomson Rd, Beach Rd
Route Length Towards Lor 1 Geylang: 25.4 km Towards Sembawang: 24.8 km
Travelling Time 105 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package
Current Operator Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd
(Tower Transit Singapore)
Current Depot Mandai Bus Depot
Current Fleet Single-deck & Double-deck buses
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Sembawang
Weekdays & Saturdays Sundays / Public Holidays
05:30 – 23:30 05:45 – 23:30
Departure Times from Lor 1 Geylang
Daily
06:00 – 23:30
Operating Frequency
6:30am–8.30am 8.31am–4.59pm 5.00pm–7.00pm After 7.00pm
From Sembawang
9 – 12 mins 10 – 13 mins 11 – 12 mins 12 – 16 mins
From Lor 1 Geylang
11 mins 8 – 15 mins 10 – 14 mins 11 – 15 mins
Fare Information
Fare Charges regular distance fares

 

Service 980 is an inter-town trunk route linking housing estates around Sembawang and Yishun, and the suburban areas of Upper Thomson and Thomson, providing connections to the City areas of Novena, Rochor Canal, Middle Road and Beach Road. It serves nearly the full stretch of Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road / Thomson Road, connecting to the city, and complements Service 166 between Upper Thomson and Rochor Canal.

The service was enhanced as part of the Thomson-East Coast Line 3 Bus Service Rationalisation from 17 December 2023. The enhancement was initially planned to be increased frequencies to take effect from 10 December 2023 in tandem with the withdrawal of Service 167. However, with the cancellation of Service 167’s withdrawal in late November 2023, further enhancements were made to Service 980 from 17 December 2023:

  • First bus timing from Sembawang Int on Weekdays & Saturdays brought forward from 05:55 to 05:30
  • First bus timing from Sembawang Int on Sundays / Public Holidays brought forward from 06:00 to 05:45
  • Last bus timing towards Sembawang Int daily from Thomson Rd (Bus Stop 50031 – Opp Novena Ch) delayed from 23:56 / 23:54 / 23:57 on Weekdays, Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays respectively to 00:30
  • Increased frequency for Service 980
MRT Stations Served:
Special Departures:
  • Bukit Timah Rd (Little India Stn Exit A) → Sembawang Int
    Weekdays & Saturdays: From 05:40 till before 06:17
  • Thomson Rd (Opp Novena Ch) → Sembawang Int
    Daily: After 23:57 till 00:30

Gallery (Tower Transit):

Gallery (SMRT Buses) at Page 2.

Poster Gallery:

Operator History:
  • 1998 – 2004: Trans-Island Bus Services Ltd
  • 2004 – 02 Oct 2021: SMRT Buses Ltd
  • 03 Oct 2021 – Present: Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2026 under the Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package.

History:
  • 1998 (27 Dec): Re-numbered from Service 160 as a service between Admiralty Rd West Ter and Lor 1 Geylang Ter
  • 1999: Serves new pair of bus stops before Sembawang Stn and after Admiralty Country Club along Canberra Rd
  • 2001 (18 Feb): Serves the bus stop outside Novena Stn along Thomson Rd, skipping the bus stop outside Novena Church
  • 2005 (20 Nov): Amended to Sembawang Int
  • 2006 (03 Dec): Amended to ply Sembawang Dr, Admiralty Dr and Canberra Rd
  • 2012 (15 Nov): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
  • 2019 (22 Dec): Serves new bus stop before Adana @ Thomson along Upp Thomson Rd
  • 2020 (08 Nov): Bus Stop 51041 (Opp SLF Cplx) temporarily merged with Bus Stop 51031 (S’pore Polo Club) along Thomson Road to facilitate construction of North-South Corridor
  • 2021 (03 Oct): Operations transferred to Tower Transit under the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package
  • 2023 (17 Dec): Service enhancement as part of the Thomson-East Coast Line 3 Bus Service Rationalisation: Increased frequencies; First bus timing from Sembawang Int on Weekdays & Saturdays as well as on Sundays / Public Holidays brought forward from 05:55 to 05:30 and from 06:00 to 05:45 respectively; Last bus timing towards Sembawang Int daily from Opp Novena Ch along Thomson Rd delayed from about 23:56  to 00:30 daily

Past Routings

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20 thoughts on “Tower Transit Bus Service 980

  • Pingback: Financial pragmatism or strategic shift? Questioning the motives behind bus service 167's initial cancellation - Gutzy Asia

  • 25 November 2022 at 10:28 PM
    Permalink

    Service 980 fleet on weekdays especially during evening peak is getting worse lately. There used to be some double deckers running on 980 running on weekday evening till night just 1-2 weeks back. But since last Friday, 980 fleets had not been deployed with any double decker buses at all on weekday evenings despite the heavy loading towards Sembawang Avenue and Admiralty Drive. Frequency wise is also bad too with up to 20 mins wait, no difference compared to under SMRT days.

    Instead, I keep seeing 167 deployed with more double deckers, even though the ridership is slightly lower after TEL stage 3 opened, and furthermore 167 is already duplicating part of the routes with 162/162M and 196. In fact 167 should be the one reducing double deckers instead.

    Reply
    • 2 December 2022 at 9:50 AM
      Permalink

      Yes I agree with you. MAN A22s are very common on 980

      Reply
    • 2 December 2023 at 8:38 AM
      Permalink

      Fleet will improve in two weeks

      Reply
    • 2 December 2023 at 10:43 AM
      Permalink

      Might get more DDs this coming next two weeks

      Reply
      • 7 March 2024 at 8:37 PM
        Permalink

        980 fleet has been getting extremely horrible lately during weekdays. Hardly seen any DDs at all and worse still all the OC500LEs seems to be spamming 980 again which had been a nightmare since SMRT days, especially during weekday PM peak. Weekend single deck fleet seems to be only MAN A22s.

        To be honest I strongly prefer 980 to stick to MAN A22 fleet apart from DD deployments.

        Reply
  • 1 February 2022 at 9:37 PM
    Permalink

    Used to have majority OC500LEs on 980 back in SMRT, things turned for a change after SG plate A22s went into AMDEP. Ever since Tower Transit took over, 980 fleet are mainly A22s now.

    Reply
    • 6 February 2022 at 9:29 PM
      Permalink

      Agreed with you, during SMRT time i have taken a lot of 980 as its quite enjoyable to go back instead of train and usually 50-80% its the OC500LEs, now ever since TTS takeover , its A22s with a rare occurence of OC500LE, would like to know from mandai TTS why the sudden change though. Even more i wanted to ask is why we take alot of alexandar dennis than oppose to man bus instead…

      Reply
      • 13 February 2022 at 11:41 AM
        Permalink

        From what I observed, TTS practice now tend to deploy OC500LEs mainly at Yishun side now as well as other short distance services. Somehow Woodlands side OC500LE also not common. Just look at 855 and 882, as well as 854 and 857 too. I think 981 also have during weekdays. All these mentioned services used to be mainly A22 under SMRT days. Even Yishun feeder 801 recently introduced also get OC500LE while those E6 A22s (supposedly for 801 overall fleet add) went to 858 instead. For 171, it used to be all A22 fleet until the DTL2 rationalisation cutback to BP.

        I remember 980 under SMRT back then also cut down a lot of OC500LEs ever since the SG plate A22s went over to AMDEP just before the TTS takeover. Somehow I prefer the A22s to be on 980 though.

        Reply
    • 2 December 2022 at 9:51 AM
      Permalink

      Yes I agree with you. last time a lot of OC500LEs. Now go to 882 and 855. Now OC500LEs are very common on 855

      Reply
  • 22 January 2022 at 11:53 AM
    Permalink

    Saw a B5LH (TTS) on 980 today

    Very rare

    Reply
  • 4 January 2022 at 1:11 PM
    Permalink

    Last Sunday I saw a lot of MAN A95s on service 980

    Wah now I realise that Tower Transit has A LOT of MAN A95s (not 3-door ones)

    Seen a lot of MAN A95s on service 169 almost every day

    Reply
    • 6 February 2022 at 9:31 PM
      Permalink

      I saw the opposite, i saw alot of Alexandra dennis instead on the sembawang line…

      Reply

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