Hougang Bus Depot is a bus depot under SBS Transit’s West District. Located at Defu Avenue 1, it serves as a parking and maintenance facility for bus operations mainly around Serangoon, Hougang, Sengkang and Punggol.
The depot will be replaced by the future Kim Chuan Bus Depot, a multi-storey bus depot being built on top of the Kim Chuan MRT Depot expansion.
| General Information | |
| Name | Hougang Bus Depot / 后港巴士车厂 |
| Address | 4 Defu Avenue 1, Singapore 539536 |
| Depot Information | |
| BCM Route Package | Sengkang–Hougang Bus Package Serangoon–Eunos Bus Package |
| Anchor Operator | SBS Transit |
| Years In Operation | 1983 – Present |
| Catchment | Serangoon, Hougang Central, Sengkang, Compassvale, Sims Place, Lorong 1 Geylang |
Details
Hougang Bus Depot was built by Singapore Bus Services (SBS) and began operations in 1984, built at the cost of around $13 million and taking over the old Bedok Depot. At 76,838 square metres, Hougang Depot accommodates the parking of up to 546 buses (recorded as 74,236 sq m in 2017). Situated in an industrial area along Defu Avenue 1, it is far from residential areas, ensuring that the early morning and late-night bus activity does not disturb residents. As a major bus depot serving the northeast of Singapore, it provides maintenance and refuelling facilities for buses in the area. It is commonly referred to as HGDEP.
The depot is also home to Comfort DelGro Engineering (CDGE)’s bus assembly facility. The bus assembly facility started off with SBS in 1977 or 1979 at McKenzie Road Depot, assembling Leyland Atlantean buses from complete knock-down (CKD) kits. The facility shifted to Woodlands Depot (SBS) in 1983, and finally settling in Hougang Depot on 1 Dec 1994. All locally-assembled buses done by CDGE (for SBS and SBS Transit) are produced here, including SBS’ Volvo Olympian, Volvo B10TL & Dennis Trident buses and SBS Transit’s Volvo B9TL (CDGE) & Volvo B9TL (Wright) buses.
Hougang Depot also housed SBS Transit’s Bus Captain Development Centre, where new Bus Captains undergo training. As such, Training Buses are frequently sighted within the depot and making their rounds in the surrounding areas. Training operations shifted to Ulu Pandan Bus Depot in April 2024.
SBS Transit holds the land tenure lasting 38 years from 1 January 1983 (as per SBS Transit Annual Report 2019). It was later extended in stages as follows:
- 43 years from 1 Jan 1983 (as per SBS Transit Annual Report 2020)
- 43 years 11 months from 1 Jan 1983 (as per SBS Transit Annual Report 2023)
Modification
To make way for the construction of the Kim Chuan Depot Extension, Hougang Bus Depot was expanded towards the North and East to compensate for lost parking space at the South end of the depot. Modification work to Hougang Bus Depot was completed in late 2017.
Contract 8813 for Modifications to Existing Hougang Bus Depot was awarded to Quek & Quek Civil Engineering Pte Ltd for S$21.4 million in June 2016.
Future Plans
The depot is expected to be replaced by the future Kim Chuan Bus Depot, a multi-storey bus depot being built on top of the Kim Chuan MRT Depot expansion. This was mentioned in an LTA newsletter covering the Circle Line Stage 6 (In Touch In Motion – Issue 1 July 2019).
Depot Fleet:
Hougang Bus Depot currently houses the following models of buses:
Single Deck Buses
Double Decker Buses
Gallery:
Bus Depot:
Bus Depot Expansion:
More photos on Page 2
Kim Chuan Depot operational,Several Ang Mo Kio Depot buses will be garaged here until 2026.
If Hougang Depot gets replaced by Sengkang West Bus Depot, services like Service 74 and 147 might move to Ang Mo Kio Depot or Kim Chuan Depot
Service 74 n 147 might stay at Sengkang West, Toa Payoh East-bound and Bishan Svcs likely to garage here.