Causeway Link CW5

Causeway Link CW5 is a cross-border bus service operated by Malaysian bus operator Handal Indah (Causeway Link), connecting Newton Circus and Johor Bahru CIQ Complex via the Causeway. It is one of three Causeway Link routes across the Causeway, alongside CW1 and CW2.

Commuters can start and end their journeys at Larkin Bus Terminal for the same fare by transferring to Causeway Link CWL at JB CIQ. However, passengers boarding at Larkin must pay a facilities charge on top of the bus fare.

Service CW5 is a cross-border route connecting Newton Circus to Johor Bahru City Centre, via the Woodlands Causeway. The route complements the Checkpoint to City crowd alongside multiple services between Woodlands Checkpoint and Queen Street Bus Terminal at Bugis, such as Service 170, CW2 and the Singapore-Johore Express.

Causeway-plying CW services, inclusive of CW5, do not stop at any bus stops in Singapore except the designated boarding point at Newton Circus. Due to varying traffic conditions at the Causeway, travel times and waiting times may increase significantly when traffic congestion occurs.

Due to varying traffic conditions at the Causeway, travel times and waiting times may increase significantly when jams occur. The route does not call at en-route bus stops in Singapore or Johor Bahru, providing fast connections daily between Singapore and Malaysia. As a relatively new service (introduced 27th March 2011), demand is limited during off-peak hours in favor of other bus services to Queen Street, but heavy during the peak hours.

To and from Larkin Terminal

Causeway Link operates a connecting bus service CWL between JB CIQ and Larkin Sentral. It accepts valid tickets purchased by connecting passengers from CW5. From Larkin to JB CIQ, the route also sells CW1/CW2/CW5 tickets to Singapore-bound passengers. Kindly inform the CWL driver of your intended final destination in Singapore (Kranji / Queen Street / Newton Circus) to be charged the correct fare from Larkin towards JB CIQ.

Passengers at JB CIQ heading towards Larkin Sentral can board Service CWL to Larkin Sentral after clearing immigration. Between Larkin Sentral and JB CIQ, CWL also serves additional stops along Skudai Highway (Kedai Motor Susuh & Opp Bomba Larkin towards Larkin and Opp Kedai Motor Susuh towards JB CIQ.

Boarding Points:

• Newton Circus: Bus alighting/boarding stop located within Newton Food Centre Car Park along Clemenceau Avenue North
• Towards Singapore:
  – JB CIQ (Departure): Bus Bays 22, 23 and 24 at Platform B
  – Woodlands (Arrival): 3 separate queues for CW1/CW2/CW5 at the Public Bus berths after immigration clearance.
• Towards Johor Bahru:
  – Woodlands (Departure): Single queue at the Public Bus berth after immigration clearance.
  – JB CIQ (Arrival): Platform B. After immigration clearance, a CW staff/timekeeper will direct passengers to the next bus departing for Larkin Sentral.

Fares & Inter-Checkpoint Transfer:

Causeway Link buses accept fare payment in cash and contactless card. A printed ticket will be issued upon cash fare payment.

At each checkpoint on the Singapore and Malaysian side of the border, passengers will have to alight and clear customs before boarding the bus again. When travelling between Woodlands CIQ Complex and Johor Bahru CIQ Complex in either direction, commuters may board any Causeway Link bus (Service CW1, CW2 or CW5) with a valid ticket. Commuters using contactless card options should tap their card upon entry.

Fare:

Charges section fares. Only Singapore currency is accepted when boarding the bus in Singapore, and Malaysian currency is accepted when boarding from Malaysia.

• Cashless payment by EZ-Link only from Singapore
• Cashless payment via Manjalink / Visa credit card accepted on all route sectors
• * = Promotional fare of S$1.98 for Woodlands Checkpoint → JB CIQ / Larkin sector for Manjalink card only
• Passengers boarding at Larkin must pay an extra RM1 facilities charge on top of the bus fare.
• Terms & Conditions on Causeway Link website

More detailed fare information for Manjalink users and concession fares are attached in a separate section below.

Gallery:

History:

• 2011 (27 Mar): Introduced between JB CIQ and Newton Circus. Fare of RM2.50 from JB / S$2.00 from Singapore.
  Daily operating hours: 0500hrs-2245hrs from JB; 0600-2330hrs from Newton Circus
• 2012-2014: Departure timings revised: 0500hrs-2230hrs from JB
• 2013 (18 Nov): Fares increased: RM2.60 from JB / S$2.50 from Singapore
• 2014 (6 Oct): Fares increased to S$3.30 from Singapore / RM3.40 from JB after increase in Causeway toll charges
• 2020 (18 Mar): Suspended amid COVID-19 pandemic cross-border travel restrictions
• 2022 (1 May): Services resumed after the lifting of cross-border travel restrictions. Fares increased to $4.60 from Singapore and RM4.60 from Malaysia.
• 2023 (May): Improvement of peak-hour frequencies to ~5 mins per bus during peak hours [Link]

Fare Information for Contactless Card users

Contactless card users must tap-in when boarding Causeway Link cross-border services. No tap-out is required.

Fares are deducted in stages. For example, when boarding CW1 at JB CIQ towards Singapore, passengers will be charged RM2.60 for the inter-checkpoint sector. When re-boarding the bus at Woodlands Checkpoint, tapping the ManjaLink card on the reader will not further deduct any fare, as the fare from Malaysia to Singapore (Woodlands Checkpoint or Kranji MRT) is the same.

Cashless payment by EZ-Link is accepted only from Singapore.

Fare Information for ManjaLink users

As the ManjaLink card is loaded with values in Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), passengers boarding from Singapore and paying fares in Singapore Dollars (SGD) will be deducted in MYR based on the prevailing exchange rate determined by ManjaLink, rounded up to the nearest 10 cents. The prevailing exchange rate for ManjaLink can be found on the ManjaLink website.

Concession Fares

From Johor Bahru to Singapore, children under 7 years old travel free, and half-price concession fares are applicable to:

• Children between 7 and 12 years old
• Students in primary and secondary school uniform
• Senior Citizens aged 60 and above
• Persons with disabilities holding the OKU Card

From Singapore, half-price concession fares are applicable to:

• Children below 12 years old

Route Map towards JB Customs

Route Map towards Newton Circus

External Links & References:

• Service CW5 – Causeway Link

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