SBS Transit Bus Service 56

SBS Transit Bus Service 56 is a trunk route running between Bishan and Marina Centre via Toa Payoh, Novena, Little India and Bras Basah.

56
53009 Bishan Int B5 NS17CC15 Bishan St 13
53279 Kuo Chuan Presby Sch Bishan St 13
53289 Zion Bible Presby Ch Bishan St 13
53251 Blk 125 Bishan St 11
53221 Blk 115 Bishan St 11
53211 Opp Raffles Instn Bishan Rd
52021 Opp Blk 1004 Braddell Rd
52031 Opp Blk 998 Braddell Rd
52361 Blk 1 Lor 6 Toa Payoh
52279 Blk 56 Lor 4 Toa Payoh
52239 Blk 177 Toa Payoh Ctrl
52189 Toa Payoh Stn NS19 Lor 2 Toa Payoh
52079 Opp Trellis Twrs Jln Toa Payoh
50059 Opp Thomson Med Ctr Thomson Rd
50049 Opp Novena Lodge Thomson Rd
50038 Novena Stn NS20 Thomson Rd
50029 Opp United Sq Thomson Rd
50019 Parish Of Christ Ch Keng Lee Rd
40109 Opp KK Women & Child Hosp Kg Java Rd
40019 Little India Stn NE7DT12 Bt Timah Rd
07539 Bef Rochor Stn Exit B DT13 Sungei Rd
07518 Opp NAFA Campus 3 Bencoolen St
07569 Aft Waterloo St Middle Rd
01639 Bef Beach Rd Middle Rd
01619 Esplanade Stn Exit F CC3 Beach Rd
02089 Promenade Stn/Pan Pacific CC4DT15 Raffles Blvd
02099 Marina Centre Ter Raffles Blvd
02099 Marina Centre Ter Raffles Blvd
02101 Aft Singapore Flyer Raffles Ave
02051 The Float @ Marina Bay Raffles Ave
02061 The Esplanade Raffles Ave
01611 Aft Raffles Hotel Beach Rd
01631 Aft Beach Rd Middle Rd
07561 Bef Waterloo St Middle Rd
07571 Sunshine Plaza Middle Rd
07021 Selegie Ctr Selegie Rd
40011 Little India Stn Exit A NE7DT12 Bt Timah Rd
40101 Kk Women & Children Hosp Kg Java Rd
50011 Opp Parish Of Christ Ch Kg Java Rd
50021 United Sq/Bef Novena Stn NS20 Thomson Rd
50031 Opp Novena Ch NS20 Thomson Rd
50041 Novena Lodge Thomson Rd
50051 Thomson Med Ctr Thomson Rd
51011 Opp Tan Tong Meng Twr Thomson Rd
52071 Trellis Twrs Jln Toa Payoh
52181 Opp Toa Payoh Stn NS19 Lor 2 Toa Payoh
52231 Blk 79C Toa Payoh Ctrl
52271 Jackson Sq Lor 4 Toa Payoh
52369 Blk 237 Lor 6 Toa Payoh
52039 Aft Muhajirin Mque Braddell Rd
53219 Raffles Instn Bishan Rd
53229 Blk 501 Bishan St 11
53259 Opp Blk 125 Bishan St 11
53281 Blk 169 Bishan St 13
53271 Opp Kuo Chuan Presby Sch Bishan St 13
53009 Bishan Int NS17CC15 Bishan St 13
Note:

  • No Boarding & Alighting at Marina Centre Terminal
Route Overview
Route WAB_logo_20px Bishan Bus InterchangeMarina Centre Bus Terminal
Passes Through Braddell Rd, Toa Payoh Ctrl, Lor 2 Toa Payoh, Thomson Rd, Middle Rd
Route Length Towards Marina Centre: 12.6 km Towards Bishan: 12.7 km
Travelling Time 70 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package BishanToa Payoh Bus Package
Current Operator SBS Transit Ltd
Current Depot Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot (AMDEP)
Current Fleet Single-deck & Double-deck buses
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Bishan
Daily
05:30 – 23:30
Departure Times from Marina Centre
Weekdays Saturdays Sundays / Public Holidays
06:00 – 23:45 06:00 – 00:15 06:00 – 23:45
Operating Frequency
From Bishan
6:30am–8.30am 8.31am–4.59pm 5.00pm–7.00pm After 7.00pm
Weekdays 13 14 mins 11 17 mins 14 15 mins 15 24 mins
Saturdays 11 14 mins 13 15 mins 14 16 mins 12 25 mins
Sundays / Public Holidays 13 14 mins 14 17 mins 15 mins 14 24 mins
From Marina Centre
6:30am–8.30am 8.31am–4.59pm 5.00pm–7.00pm After 7.00pm
Weekdays 10 12 mins 11 17 mins 14 15 mins 17 25 mins
Saturdays 11 13 mins 12 15 mins 14 15 mins 13 25 mins
Sundays / Public Holidays 13 15 mins 14 17 mins 15 16 mins 14 21 mins
Fare Information
Fare Charges regular distance fares

 

Service 56 serves as a supplementary route connecting the residential estates of Toa Payoh and Bishan with the city areas of Marina Centre, Middle Road, Little India and Novena. The large area of coverage between Bishan and Toa Payoh makes it a convenient inter-town route.

Service hours on Saturdays are longer to cater to late-night commuters in the city.

MRT Stations Served
Special Departures
  • Bukit Timah Road (Little India Stn Exit A)  Bishan Int
    Weekdays: 05:50 & 06:04
  • Lorong 2 Toa Payoh (Toa Payoh Stn)  Marina Centre Ter
    Weekdays: 05:30

Gallery

Operator History
  • 1985 – 2001: Singapore Bus Services Ltd
  • 2001 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd

The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2026 under the Bishan–Toa Payoh Bus Package. 

History
  • 1985 (22 Dec): Introduced from Bishan St 11 to Toa Payoh Int (Loop)
  • 1986 (28 Dec): Amended to Bishan Ter
  • 1987 (16 Mar): First bus from Bishan Ter brought forward to 0545 hrs daily
  • 1989 (30 Apr): Amended to Bishan Int
  • 1990 (02 Sep): Integrated with Services 58 and 150 and extended to Marina Ctr Ter
  • 2000: Last bus from Marina Ctr Ter extended to 0015 hrs on Saturdays
  • 2001 (18 Feb): Serves new staggered bus stop outside Novena Stn along Thomson Rd, skipping the bus stop outside Novena Church
  • 2005: Skips abolished bus stop outside Muhajirin Mosque along Braddell Rd
  • 2012 (30 Sep): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
  • 2021 (27 Feb): Amended to the relocated Marina Ctr Ter

Past Routings

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6 thoughts on “SBS Transit Bus Service 56

  • 26 January 2021 at 8:00 PM
    Permalink

    Dear Sir

    On Friday 22 January 2021, I waited for Bus 56 at 10.12a.m. in front of the Zion Bible Presbyterian church to go to Toa Payoh. While waiting, four buses which were not in service passed by. Only at about 10.45 a.m., Bus 56 came. I am wondering why Bus 56 has poor service. It is not a first time it was not punctual. It has a poor record of not being on schedule.

    I also am wondering why so many buses were not in service. Something is not right.

    It is not Singapore’s character of poor service and poor punctuality.

    Please check and revert.

    Thank you.

    Ronald Tan

    Reply
    • 5 July 2021 at 7:57 AM
      Permalink

      Maybe no passengers got on at Bishan Interchange so the bus driver might have been not interested

      That is the only way I think

      Reply
      • 7 April 2022 at 3:22 PM
        Permalink

        If want more buses, just remove the double deckers which seemed to only be two and they only serve during peak periods. Swap them out with Euro IV KUBS or Citaros, about 4 should be able to compensate for the 2 DD removal. It also improve the frequency. If got demand, just add more sd, so many single decks rotting in storage especially MAN A22 E6 & Citaros

        Reply
  • 3 March 2019 at 11:50 AM
    Permalink

    I saw numerous b10tl 56 on this bus Yesterday

    Reply
  • 15 July 2018 at 5:40 AM
    Permalink

    Honestly this is a pretty useless route . 12km ? And only from Bishan to Pan Pac Hotel . 980 serves the exact same route from Novena to Bugis . THey should extend it !

    Reply
    • 23 April 2019 at 5:19 PM
      Permalink

      So than people from Toa Payoh and Bishan can’t take any bus to Pan Pac Hotel

      Reply

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