SBS Transit Bus Service 161 is a trunk service plying between Hougang Central Interchange and Woodlands Interchange, passing through Hougang Avenue 10/6/8/4, Buangkok, Sengkang, Punggol Road, TPE, SLE and Woodlands Avenue 2. A large portion of the route plies along the TPE/SLE corridor.
161
| Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route  |
Hougang Central Bus Interchange ↔ Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub |
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| Passes Through | Hougang Ave 8, Hougang Ave 4, Sengkang East Rd, Woodlands Ave 2 | |||||||||||
| Route Length | Towards Woodlands: 23.6 km | Towards Hougang Ctrl: 23.5 km | ||||||||||
| Travelling Time | 70 mins | |||||||||||
| Operator Information | ||||||||||||
| BCM Route Package | Sengkang–Hougang Bus Package | |||||||||||
| Current Operator | SBS Transit Ltd | |||||||||||
| Current Depot | Hougang Bus Depot (HGDEP) | |||||||||||
| Current Fleet | Single-deck & Double-deck buses | |||||||||||
| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Hougang Central |
Weekdays & Saturdays | Sundays / Public Holidays | ||||||||||
| 05:45 – 23:30 | 06:00 – 23:30 | |||||||||||
| Departure Times from Woodlands |
Weekdays | Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays | ||||||||||
| 05:45 – 23:30 | 06:00 – 23:30 | |||||||||||
| Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
| From Hougang Central |
6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | ||||||||
| Weekdays | 6 – 9 mins | 7 – 13 mins | 8 – 10 mins | 9 – 14 mins | ||||||||
| Saturdays | 10 – 13 mins | 11 – 15 mins | 13 – 15 mins | 11 – 13 mins | ||||||||
| Sundays / Public Holidays | 9 – 14 mins | 11 – 15 mins | 13 – 15 mins | 12 – 13 mins | ||||||||
| From Woodlands |
6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | ||||||||
| Weekdays | 6 – 11 mins | 7 – 13 mins | 5 – 9 mins | 8 – 13 mins | ||||||||
| Saturdays | 11 – 13 mins | 11 – 14 mins | 13 – 14 mins | 11 – 13 mins | ||||||||
| Sundays / Public Holidays | 10 – 15 mins | 10 – 14 mins | 14 – 15 mins | 12 – 14 mins | ||||||||
| Fare Information |
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| Fare | Charges regular distance fares |
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Service 161 is a residential inter-town route connecting Hougang and Sengkang with Woodlands. It incorporates a long express sector (~16km) between Punggol Road and Woodlands Avenue 2 along Tampines Expressway and Seletar Expressway, one of the longest unbroken express sectors for any trunk route in Singapore.
The route benefits from good demand throughout the day, with significantly higher demand during weekday peak hours from educational institutions at Woodlands, notably Republic Polytechnic (RP).
MRT / LRT Stations Served
Special Departures
- Sengkang East Rd (Aft Buangkok Dr) → Woodlands Int
Weekdays: 05:55, 06:50 & 08:14 - Sengkang East Way (Opp Sengkang Stn/Blk 260A) → Woodlands Int
Weekdays: 07:05 & 08:18
Gallery
Poster Gallery
Operator History
- 2002 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd
The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed under the Sengkang–Hougang Bus Package, in which the negotiated contract term was extended by an undisclosed number of years from 2024.
History
- 2002 (02 Jun): Introduced between Hougang Ctrl Int and Woodlands Regional Int
- 2007: First bus from Woodlands Reg Int brought forward to 0545 hrs on weekdays
- 2007 (24 Jun): Serves new pair of bus stops outside and opposite Innova JC along Woodlands Ave 2
- 2014 (23 Mar): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
- 2016 (12 Mar): Amended to Woodlands Temp Int
- 2021 (13 Jun): Amended to Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub
- 2021 (12 Dec): Temporarily amended to Woodlands Temp Int due to road closure of east entrance to Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub
- 2021 (26 Dec): Amended back to Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub
- 2022 (28 Aug): Amended to ply Hougang Ave 4 with the partial closure of Hougang Ctrl to facilitate the construction of Hougang MRT station on the Cross Island MRT Line, serving an additional pair of bus stops outside Blk 513 & Blk 831 along Hougang Ave 10
- 2022 (11 Dec): Temporarily amended to Woodlands Temp Int due to road closure of east exit from Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub
- 2022 (25 Dec): Amended back to Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub
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Whenever I want to go Woodlands from punggol I would take 161 as it is double decker buses and chargeable. I would never forget this bus. 2002 Present SBS Transit.
SBS Transit Bus Service 161 is one of my main service [from my house] taking it mainly from Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange to my home [Blk 913 / Opp Blk 913] during the weekdays and selected weekends. It is a faster route [despite the 20 – 25 Mins Expressway which is my favourite part for this route] for me to get home when I am travelling from Jurong east to woodlands on the NSL. This route also serves as another alternative option [only when Service 88 Towards Ang Mo Kio Station is crowded during the first hour for the route on weekdays] for me to get to my school [Spectra Secondary School] on weekdays. I Would also wish for SBS Transit to introduce Short-Trip Bus Service 161A and 161B during the peak hours to reduce travelling time frequency for 161 when travelling via the Expressway Towards Woodlands.
161 is more than just a pseudo-express service linking NE with Woodlands. Most people who don’t live in NE will be surprised that 161 has large numbers of passengers in Hougang and Sengkang not travelling to Woodlands. It has some unique intra-town and inter-town connections in Hougang and Sengkang, supplements the overcrowded 159 at certain sectors, and is the only service linking some parts of Hougang Ave 4 and Buangkok Green to Hougang Central in both directions.
Why Does Bus Service 161 Also Served By Single Deck Bus?I Thought The Bus Is Only Served By Double Deck Bus.These Bus Service With A Double Deck Bus Only Cannot Be Deployed On The Single Deck Bus.
SBS Transit deploy any buses they want to. So not everytime will be 100% double decker, sometimes there will be a cameos on SBS Transit 161 for single deck.
I have the intention to get a Adult Monthly Travel (AMT) fare card at $120. Everyday I took bus 161 from Hougang interchange to Woodland interchange. Is bus 161 considered a Express Bus or Basic Bus? AMT card only can used on basic.