SBS Transit Bus Service 170X

SBS Transit Bus Service 170X is a cross-border service plying between Kranji MRT and JB Sentral in Johor Bahru, passing through Woodlands Centre, Woodlands Checkpoint and Sultan Iskandar CIQ. The route serves JB Sentral only at selected times; most trips do not proceed beyond JB CIQ.

Bus Service 170X is a cross-border trunk service linking Kranji MRT Station with JB Sentral in Johor Bahru. The service operates via the Johor–Singapore Causeway, calling at Woodlands Checkpoint and Sultan Iskandar CIQ, where all passengers must alight for immigration clearance before re-boarding to continue their journey.

Due to varying traffic conditions along the Johor–Singapore Causeway, travel times and service frequencies may vary significantly, especially during periods of heavy congestion such as weekday peak hours, weekends, public holidays and festive seasons.

From 15 December 2025, Service 170X is scheduled to operate to JB Sentral Ter only between 13:05 and 15:56 on Mondays to Thursdays. Outside of this period, all trips will terminate at JB CIQ. Passengers can continue their journeys to or from JB Sentral on foot.

Although Service 170X is operated using wheelchair-accessible buses, there are no wheelchair-accessible stops beyond Woodlands Checkpoint. As a result, wheelchair users are currently unable to use the service for cross-border travel.

Ground observations

Although the route officially starts from Bus Stop 45131 (Opposite Kranji Station, Woodlands Road), the majority of Johor Bahru–bound passengers board at Bus Stop 45139 (Kranji Station, Woodlands Road) in practice. This stop functions as the effective boarding point for cross-border trips, with queuing arrangements and on-site SBS Transit staff managing passenger flow. After boarding, buses perform a U-turn further along Woodlands Road (near Bus Stop 45101 (After LP 234)), and stop again opposite Kranji Station before proceeding towards Woodlands Checkpoint.

Without a dedicated bus terminal, buses are observed to layover along Turf Club Avenue between trips.

Skipping of Woodlands Road

Bus Services 170 & 170X towards Johor Bahru are occasionally diverted away from Woodlands Road due to traffic congestion leading into Woodlands Checkpoint. When this happens, buses will be diverted. Refer to SBS Transit’s X account for updates.

Diversion Route	Bus Stops Skipped
Woodlands Road (Opp Kranji Stn) Woodlands Ave 3 Woodlands Centre Rd Woodlands Crossing	46021 – Bef W’Lands Ind Pk D St 2 46031 – Kranji Lodge 1 46041 – Opp GlobalFoundries 46051 – Bef BKE

Route Limitations

Buses deployed on cross-border services are required to be registered with Malaysia’s Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD). Currently, Service 170X is operated only by MAN A22 and Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses registered with APAD. In accordance with Malaysian regulations, these buses are required to carry relevant cross-border documentation, be fitted with a third brake light, and display Malaysian speed limit decals.

Cross-Border Procedures

At both the Singapore and Malaysian checkpoints, passengers are required to alight from the bus to clear immigration procedures before continuing their journey. Card-paying passengers who re-board the same service will have their journey treated as a continuation, while boarding a different service at either checkpoint will be treated as a transfer under the fare system. Cash-paying passengers are required to retain their tickets and present them when re-boarding after immigration clearance.

Transferring between Bus Services 170 and 170X at either checkpoint is counted as a continuation and not a transfer.

At Woodlands Checkpoint towards Johor Bahru, the queues for Services 160, 170, 170X and 950 are combined to form a single common queue. Passengers will be directed to board the first available bus regardless of service number. This boarding arrangement has been in place since 20 May 2022.

Fares

Service 170X charges distance-based fares in accordance with Singapore’s standard public transport fare structure.

When boarding in Malaysia, cash payment in Malaysian ringgit is accepted at a one-to-one numerical equivalence with Singapore dollars. For example, the cash fare from Johor Bahru Checkpoint to Kranji Station is S$2.30 (as of December 2025), and a cash payment of RM2.30 is also accepted. Passengers using contactless payment modes are charged in Singapore dollars only, regardless of boarding location.

Approximate Operating Hours at Woodlands Checkpoint

MRT Station Served:

• NS7 Kranji

Special Departures:

• Johor Bahru (Johor Bahru Checkpoint) → Kranji MRT Station
  Weekdays: From 04:50
  Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays: From 05:30

Route Variant:

• Service 170: Queen Street Terminal ↔ Larkin Terminal
  Daily

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Route Limitations:

Buses deployed on cross-border routes must be registered with the Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD), also known as the Land Public Transport Agency (Malaysia).

Currently, several SBS Transit Mercedes-Benz Citaro & MAN A22 buses are registered for cross-border operations. Under Malaysian regulations, buses must carry relevant documents, be fitted with a third brake light at the rear, and be attached with Malaysian stickers dictating the legal speed limit.

Display signage and route identification

Historically, as a variant of Service 170, the route was informally referred to as “170 (Blue Plate)” or “170*”, using blue destination plates to distinguish it from the main Service 170, which displayed red destination plates. During this period, the service was operated using Volvo B10M (Mark III) and later Volvo B10M (Mark IV) buses.

From 2014, Scania K230UB buses were deployed on the service. With the phasing out of physical destination plates, Electronic Display Signs were introduced, initially displaying the “X” suffix in a smaller superscript format. Between 2018 and 2019, Service 170X was more clearly delineated as a distinct service, and the “X” suffix was enlarged on electronic display signs to improve route identification. Bus stop poles, which previously only displayed ‘170’, were updated to reflect Service 170X as a separate service.

Gallery:

Poster Gallery:

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Operator History:

• 2000 – 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
• 2001 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd

Route History:

• 2000 (03 Sep): Introduced between Woodlands Rd (Opp Kranji Stn) and Larkin Ter (Johor Bahru) as a route variant of Bus Service 170. Skips Woodlands Centre Road in the direction of Johor Bahru.
• 2003 (10 Nov): Amended to Kotaraya II Ter via Jln Gertak Merah, skipping Jln Tun Abdul Razak
• 2008: Last bus from Woodlands Rd (Opp Kranji Stn) revised to 2310 hrs on Saturdays
• 2008 (16 Dec): Serves additional bus stop outside JB Sentral along Jln Tun Abdul Razak towards Kotaraya II Ter
• 2009 (11 May): Last bus from Woodlands Rd (Opp Kranji Stn) revised to 2330 hrs on weekdays and 2400 hrs on Saturdays
• 2014 (01 Nov): Amended to loop at Jln Tun Abdul Razak with the permanent closure of Kotaraya II Ter
• 2015 (01 Mar): Amended to JB Sentral Ter, skipping Jln Tun Abdul Razak
• 2017 (21 Aug): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
• 2020 (18 Mar) – 2022 (30 Apr): Temporarily suspended due to Malaysia Movement Control Order.
• 2023 (Jul): Unannounced change to operating hours:
  • First bus from Johor Bahru Checkpoint towards Kranji MRT on weekdays brought forward from 05:25 to 05:00
  • All buses skip JB Sentral Ter on Mon–Fri AM peak (before 08:28), and Mon–Thurs PM peak (16:36–20:09)
• 2024 (Mar): Unannounced change to JB Sentral Ter operating hours:
  • All buses skip JB Sentral Ter on Fri afternoons & evenings (16:30–end of service)
  • All buses skip JB Sentral Ter on Saturdays,  Sundays & Public Holidays (whole day)
• 2025 (15 Sep): First bus timing on Weekdays (except Public Holidays) at Johor Bahru Checkpoint towards Kranji MRT brought forward from 05:00 to 04:50
• 2025 (15 Dec): Unannounced change to JB Sentral Ter operating hours:
  • Buses serve JB Sentral Ter only during mid-day hours on Mon–Thurs (13:05 – 15:56)
  • All buses skip JB Sentral Ter on Fridays (whole day)

Gradual reduction of JB Sentral Ter trips:

In July 2023, the Land Transport Authority & SBS Transit made unannounced changes to the operating hours of Bus Service 170X.

Changes in operating hours observed were as follows:

• From Opp Kranji Stn:
  Weekdays: 05:36 – 23:30 to 05:37 – 23:37
  Saturdays: 05:40 – 00:00 to 05:37 – 00:07
  Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:40 – 23:30 to 05:37 – 23:37
• From JB Sentral:
  Weekdays: 06:10 – 00:00 to 08:28 – 00:00
  Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays: no change (06:11 – 00:00)

A scheduling change was also included to allow buses from Kranji MRT Station to terminate at Johor Bahru Checkpoint and turn around back towards Singapore, omitting JB Sentral Ter during the following weekday hours (excluding public holidays):

• Weekdays (Mon–Fri): before 08:28
• Weekdays (Mon–Thurs): 16:36 – 20:09

In March 2024, the schedule was revised to omit JB Sentral Ter entirely on:

• Fridays: after 4.30pm (revised JB Sentral operating hours: 08:28 – 16:30)
• Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays: Whole day

On 15 December 2025, another schdule revision was made to omit JB Sentral Ter entirely on:

• Mon–Thurs: before 13:05 & Evening off peak hours (revised JB Sentral operating hours: 13:05 – 15:56)
• Fridays: Whole day

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Past Routings

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