(Defunct) SMRT NightBus Services

Not to be confused with TIBS/SMRT NightRider bus services.

SMRT NightBus services have been discontinued from Tuesday, 1 Jul 2003. For the defunct NR-prefixed routes, please visit the NightRider service article.

Introduction:

SMRT NightBus services were a series of SN services introduced on Saturday, 1 July 2000 by SMRT Corporation Ltd. These services were intended to provide affordable and convenient travel during the after-hours, when the MRT network was closed for regular maintenance. As such, these routes largely duplicated various segments of the North South Line (NSL) and East West Line (EWL).

Three SN services were introduced, namely SN10, SN20 and SN30. These unidirectional, fully-air-conditioned bus services linked the Downtown areas of Orchard Road, Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Bugis with the housing areas in the East, West and North of Singapore. These services operated daily, at intervals of between 30 and 60 minutes.

• Service SN10: Tomlinson Rd – Pasir Ris Ctrl
  via Chinatown, Bugis, Geylang, Bedok, Simei & Tampines
• Service SN20: Nth Canal Rd – Woodlands Ave 3
  via Boat Quay, Orchard, Novena, Toa Payoh, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Yishun & Sembawang
• Service SN30: Tomlinson Rd – Boon Lay Way
  via Chinatown, Bukit Merah, Queenstown & Jurong East

The emergence of SN services were an addition to the overnight bus scene, with Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) already operating seven NightRider bus services (NR1 – NR8). However, NightRider services only operated on Fridays, Saturdays and eves of Public Holidays. In addition, SN services charged a flat fare of $3.00, similar to the NR flat fare of $3.00 at the time.

It is worth noting that SN services were introduced before the merger of SMRT Corporation Ltd and TIBS Holdings, which then occurred in December 2001.

Route Overview:

Introduced on Saturday, 1 July 2000, SN services would subsequently undergo route amendments on Friday, 15 December 2000, to provide a free transfer point to another SN service at Boat Quay. Detailed route information is available below.

Prior to their integration with TIBS NR services from Tuesday, 1 July 2003, their routings were as such. Roads highlighted in blue indicate City areas, while roads highlighted in green indicate Heartland areas. Boarding of SN services was only allowed within the City areas, as indicated in the route details below.

Fares:

SMRT NightBus services charged a flat fare of $3.00 for farecard-paying passengers, and $3.50 for cash-paying passengers.

Operating Hours:

Subsequent Discontinuation:

Bus Services SN10, SN20 and SN30 were absorbed into NightRider services and discontinued on 1 July 2003. Minor route changes were made to Bus Services NR1, NR5 and NR7 to replace these discontinued routes. Route amendments to these services took effect on the same day.

Under the integrated network, there were a total of seven NR services – NR 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8; three of which would operate daily – NR 1, 5, and 7. The remaining four NR services would operate on Fridays, Saturdays and eves of Public Holidays only.

The integration of the NR and SN services further enhanced the NightRider network coverage, serving residents of Woodlands, Sembawang, Choa Chu Kang, Bedok North, Simei, and Sengkang better. Existing commuters now pay a flat fare of $3.00 on NR services, instead of the $3.50 prior to their integration.

Commuters paying by ez-link card could still enjoy a free transfer to another NR service within 45 minutes of alighting from the first NR service. These transfer points were along South Bridge Rd, River Valley Rd, Clarke Quay, Orchard Rd and Somerset Rd.

Operating Details of Modified Bus Services NR1/5/7 on Weeknights:

Operating Hours:

• 23:30 – 04:30
  (Fri, Sat & eves of Public Holidays; Bi-directional service)
• 23:30 – 03:30
  (Sun – Thu; One-directional service)

Discontinuation of Weeknight Services:

Daily operations of Bus Services NR1, NR5 and NR7 did not last long. Overnight operations on weeknights were discontinued from Sunday, 23 May 2004, most likely due to low demand. During the period of weeknight operations, minibuses under Bus Plus were frequently deployed.

Bus Service SN10 (1 Jul 2000 – 30 Jun 2003)

Bus Service SN20 (1 Jul 2000 – 30 Jun 2003)

Bus Service SN30 (1 Jul 2000 – 30 Jun 2003)

External Links & References:

• TransitLink Guide 2001 & 2002
• TransitLink eGuide – Service SN10
• TransitLink eGuide – Service SN20
• TransitLink eGuide – Service SN30

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