SMRT City Direct Service 652 is a Weekday Peak Hour City Direct service between Ang Mo Kio and the CBD, passing through CTE, Orchard Road and Fullerton Road. It is the second City Direct route introduced under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).

Notes:
– Wheelchair Inaccessible Bus Stop
Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route ![]() |
[AM]: Upper Thomson Road (Opp Sembawang Hills FC) → Shenton Way (Opp MAS Bldg) [PM]: Anson Road (Mapletree Anson) → Upper Thomson Road (Bef Sembawang Hills FC) |
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Passes Through | Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, Dhoby Ghaut | |||||||||||
Route Length | Towards Shenton Way: 18.9 km | Towards Upp Thomson Rd: 18.7 km | ||||||||||
Traveling Time | 57 – 64 mins | |||||||||||
Operator Information | ||||||||||||
BCM Route Package | Woodlands Bus Package | |||||||||||
Current Operator | SMRT Buses Ltd | |||||||||||
Current Depot | Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot (AMDEP) | |||||||||||
Current Fleet | 12-metre Double Deck Buses – Alexander Dennis Enviro500 – MAN A95 |
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Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
Departure Times from Upp Thomson Rd |
Weekdays, except Public Holidays | |||||||||||
07:25 – 07:50 | ||||||||||||
Departure Times from Anson Rd |
Weekdays, except Public Holidays | |||||||||||
18:10 – 18:25 | ||||||||||||
Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
From Upp Thomson Rd |
8 – 9 mins | |||||||||||
From Anson Rd |
15 mins | |||||||||||
Fare Information |
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Fare | Charges express distance fares |
City Direct Service 652 provides residents of Thomson and Ang Mo Kio with greater connectivity to the CBD. By running parallel to existing rail lines, the service provides a travel alternative for commuters who relied on the rail network and feeder buses to and from work. The route incorporates an express sector between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 and Orchard Road via Central Expressway (CTE). Some bus stops along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 (near Ang Mo Kio MRT) are skipped to avoid duplication of the MRT line.
This is the second City Direct service to be introduced under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), and one of ten proposed City Direct bus routes to be progressively introduced until the 2nd Quarter of 2014. This provides more options for commuters using stretches of the existing rail lines that experience persistently high ridership, while the ongoing rail enhancement measures are being implemented.
MRT Stations Served
- NS24NE6CC1 Dhoby Ghaut
- CC2 Bras Basah
- DT21 Bencoolen
- NS25EW13 City Hall
- CC3 Esplanade
- NS26EW14 Raffles Place
- EW15 Tanjong Pagar
Departure Timings
Weekdays (except Public Holidays)
- Morning Peak from Upper Thomson Road (Opp Sembawang Hills FC):
07:25, 07:33, 07:41 & 07:50 - Evening Peak from Anson Road (Mapletree Anson):
18:10 & 18:25
Gallery
Poster Gallery
Operator History:
- 06 Jan 2014 – 03 Jan 2020: Ren Quan Transport Pte Ltd
- 06 Jan 2020 – Present: SMRT Buses Ltd
The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2023 under the Woodlands Bus Package.
Route History:
- 2014 (06 Jan): Introduced between Upp Thomson Rd (Opp Sembawang Hills FC) and Shenton Way (Opp MAS Bldg) during morning peak hours and between Anson Rd (Hub Synergy Pt) and Upp Thomson Rd (Bef Sembawang Hills FC) during evening peak hours as a peak hour one-directional service on weekdays under the BSEP.
- 2015 (23 Mar): Serves new bus stop (03241) instead of (03222) along Anson Rd
- 2020 (06 Jan): Operations transferred to SMRT Buses Ltd. Morning trips reduced with the deployment of Double Decker Buses
- 2020 (08 Apr – 01 Jun): Temporarily suspended due to Singapore COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Measures.
Changes in Departure Times:
Effective Date | Morning Peak Timings | Evening Peak Timings |
06 Jan 2014 | 07:35 & 07:45 | 18:10 & 18:25 |
17 Mar 2014 | 07:30, 07:40 & 07:50 | 18:10 & 18:25 |
14 Jul 2014 | 07:30, 07:36, 07:43 & 07:50 | 18:10 & 18:25 |
19 Jan 2015 | 07:25, 07:31, 07:37, 07:43 & 07:50 | 18:10 & 18:25 |
25 Jun 2018 | 07:25, 07:30, 07:35, 07:40, 07:45 & 07:50 | 18:10 & 18:25 |
06 Jan 2020 | 07:25, 07:33, 07:41 & 07:50 | 18:10 & 18:25 |
Back to Bus Services
Back to City Direct Services
The bus will stop before the bus stop at Mapletree Anson and will stop at the Most Front Of aft capital twr. Pls be aware of where the bus will stop. The bus driver does not stop at SMU and YMCA.
Hi
I would like to suggest if u could arrange more bus or reschedule your bus. I notices there are getting a huge jump of passenger taking the 1st and 2nd bus for city bus from amk to CBD. Aware there are 5 schedule of bus.. However most of the passenger start work at 8.30am if we miss the1st/2nd bus due to overpack passenger and unable to board the bus. End out we would be late for work. Hope u can put into consideration about my feedback.
Thanks
Is your driver in a rush to go back home? We were waiting from 6pm for ur 1st bus to arrival yet driver stop at the Fullerton bus stop instead of the usual broading location he picked up one passenger and went off. Me n another passenger was running to catch the bus and your driver jus close the door and went off. FYI this is not the first time already. Bus no. 952E
Sorry, but is it bus 652 or bus 952E?
I take bus 652 every morning. The commute is almost one hour just like other commuters with me. The aircon in the bus is set at full blast. Even with a full capacity, the bus temperature is way too cold, which causes extreme discomfort throughout the ride. Would appreciate if bus driver can lower the aircon temp. Doubtful of this feedback, please take an hour ride yourself to experience the discomfort. You can see almost all the vents pointing away from the commuters.