History of Tengah Bus Services

Tengah is Singapore’s latest satellite town developed since the early 2020s, located in the north-western region of the island. To cater to the increasing population in the developing public housing estate, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) gradually introduced new trunk services and amended the routes of existing trunk services to serve the town.

While there was no specific bus plan implemented by the LTA, the interim Tengah Bus Interchange serves as the main transport hub for bus services and the MRT in the housing estate, opening its doors on 21st July 2024 along Tengah Boulevard.

Pre-Interchange Opening (2023 – 2024):

Before the development of Tengah New Town, the area where the housing estate occupies today was mainly served by long distance trunk services along Bukit Batok Road and Jurong Road.

In September 2023, the contracted bus operator of the Bulim Bus Package, Tower Transit, introduced its 1st new bus route in Tengah New Town, with the launch of Bus Service 992, connecting the newly constructed residential blocks along Plantation Crescent with the neighbouring Bukit Batok Town Centre. In addition, the routes of Bus Services 160 & 180 already cut through the new housing estate along Bukit Batok Road since their introduction.

Over the subsequent months, Bus Service 870 was added to Tengah New Town in 2023, while the interim bus interchange was constructed in the Tengah Town Centre to serve as the primary transport node for the estate.

On 21st July 2024, the interim Tengah Bus Interchange was opened, offering a pleasant environment for bus passengers to transfer and wait for their buses. Bus Services 870 & 992 were extended to the new interchange, while Bus Service 871 was launched to provide additional links to Beauty World MRT station on the Downtown Line (DTL).

Summary of Post-Amendment Bus Routes in Tengah (as of 21 Jul 2024):

• 870: Tengah – Bukit Batok West – Jurong East
• 871: Tengah – Bukit Gombak – Bukit Batok East – Beauty World
• 992: Tengah – Bukit Batok West – Bukit Batok

More detailed information for operational bus services can be found in the Historical Routes of Bus Services article.

Further Bus Service Developments in Tengah (from 2027)

The current interim bus interchange along Tengah Blvd is expected to be replaced by an Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) that will be connected to the upcoming Tengah MRT station along the Jurong Region Line (JRL).

Chronological History of Tengah Bus Services:

• 1971 (11 Apr):
  • Launch of 2 new services in Tengah:
    • 174 between Nanyang University & New Bridge Rd via Jurong Rd
    • 175 between Upp Jurong Rd & Prince Edward Rd via Jurong Rd
• 1985 (17 Mar): Route amendment for Bus Services 157, 174, 175 & 178 to ply Bt Batok Rd
• 1985 (8 Dec): Launch of Bus Service 852 between Jurong & Yishun Ctrl via Bt Batok Rd
• 1989 (17 Dec): Launch of Bus Service 66 between Jurong East & Tampines via Bt Batok Rd
• 1990 (10 Jun): Launch of Bus Service 951 between Jurong & Marsiling via Bt Batok Rd
• 1991 (20 Jan): Discontinuation of Bus Service 175
• 1996 (10 Mar):
  • Launch of Bus Service 180 between Boon Lay & Bukit Panjang via Bt Batok Rd
  • Route cutback for Bus Service 852 to Bukit Batok
  • Discontinuation of Bus Service 951
• 1999 (30 Aug): Launch of Express Bus Service 506 between Jurong East & Bedok via Bt Batok Rd
• 2004 (5 Sep): Launch of cross-border Bus Service 160 between Jurong East & Johor Bahru, Malaysia via Bt Batok Rd
• 2020 (26 Jul): Launch of supplementary Bus Service 160M between Jurong East & Bt Batok Rd
• 2020 (27 Sep): Route amendment for Bus Service 174 to ply PIE with the closure of Jurong Rd
• 2023 (24 Sep):
  • Discontinuation of supplementary Bus Service 160M
  • Launch of Bus Service 992 between Bukit Batok & Plantation Cres
  • Launch of Bus Service 993 between Jurong East & Bt Batok West Ave 8 via Bt Batok Rd
• 2023 (26 Nov): Launch of Bus Service 870 between Jurong Town Hall & Plantation Cres
• 2023 (24 Dec): Route extension for Bus Services 870 & 992 to loop at Tengah Blvd
• 2024 (21 Jul):
  • Route extension for Bus Services 870 & 992 to interim Tengah Bus Interchange
  • Launch of Bus Service 871 to Beauty World
• 2024 (25 Nov): Launch of City Direct Bus Service 674 to Marina Blvd during weekday peak hours under BCEP
• 2025 (10 Aug): Launch of Bus Service 872 to Jurong East St 32 under BCEP
• 2025 (15 Sep): Route extension for Bus Service 674 to Tengah Blvd
• 2025 (26 Oct): Launch of Bus Service 984 between Jurong Town Hall & W’lands Rd via Bt Batok Rd under BCEP
• 2025 (17 Nov):
  • Launch of peak hour Bus Service 452 to Beauty World Stn under BCEP
  • Launch of peak hour Bus Service 453 to Bukit Batok under BCEP

External Links & References:

• CNA: Tengah bus interchange to open on Jul 21; direct route to Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak for residents (5 Jul 2024)

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