City Direct Bus Service 681, operated by SBS Transit, is a weekday peak-hour City Direct service connecting Hougang to Dhoby Ghaut, Orchard and Novena. It is introduced under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP).
City Direct 681 commenced operation on 15 December 2025.
| Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route  |
[AM]: Upper Serangoon Road (Blk 477A) → Moulmein Road (Revival Ctr Ch) [PM]: Moulmein Road (St. Joseph Instn Jnr) → Upper Serangoon Road (Opp Blk 477A) |
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| Passes Through | Hougang Ctrl, Hougang Ave 3, Tampines Rd, Orchard Rd, Scotts Rd | |||||||||||
| Route Length | Towards Moulmein Rd:Â 21.7 km | Towards Upp Serangoon Rd: 21.2 km | ||||||||||
| Travelling Time | [AM Peak] 77 mins | [PM Peak] 80 mins | |||||||||||
| Operator Information | ||||||||||||
| BCM Route Package | Sengkang–Hougang Bus Package | |||||||||||
| Current Operator | SBS Transit Ltd | |||||||||||
| Current Depot | Sengkang West Bus Depot (SWDEP) | |||||||||||
| Current Fleet | Single-deck buses Includes electric buses |
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| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Upp Serangoon Rd | Weekdays, except Public Holidays | |||||||||||
| 07:30 – 07:45 | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Moulmein Rd |
Weekdays, except Public Holidays | |||||||||||
| 18:05 – 18:20 | ||||||||||||
| Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
| From Upp Serangoon Rd | 15 mins | |||||||||||
| From Moulmein Rd | 15 mins | |||||||||||
| Fare Information |
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| Fare | Charges express distance fares |
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Service 681 offers residents of Hougang improved connectivity to the Orchard area, providing a direct travel alternative to commuters who typically rely on the rail network and feeder buses. As a City Direct service, it only operates on weekdays.
If the eves of Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Chinese New Year fall on a weekday, the Evening Peak departures will be brought forward to the afternoon. Revised departure times will be provided by the operator closer to the affected date.
Travel Smart Journeys
This bus service is part of the latest Travel Smart Journeys – North-East Line Scheme.
Registered commuters on the SimplyGo app can earn cashback in the form of e-transport vouchers by boarding & alighting at designated stops during Morning Peak hours.
MRT Stations Served
- NE14 Hougang
- NS25EW13 City Hall
- CC3 Esplanade
- CC2 Bras Basah
- DT21 Bencoolen
- NS24NE6CC1 Dhoby Ghaut
- NS23 Somerset
- NS22TE14 Orchard
- NS21–DT11 Newton
Departure Timings
Weekdays (except Public Holidays)
- Morning Peak from Upper Serangoon Road (Blk 477A):
07:30 & 07:45 - Evening Peak from Moulmein Road (St. Joseph Instn Jnr):
18:05 & 18:20
Gallery
Poster Gallery
Operator History
- 15 Dec 2025 – Present: SBS Transit Ltd
Route History
- 2025 (15 Dec): Introduced from Upp Serangoon Rd (Blk 477A) to Moulmein Rd (Revival Ctr Ch) during morning peak hours and from Moulmein Rd (St. Joseph Instn Jnr) to Upp Serangoon Rd (Opp Blk 477A) during evening peak hours, as a City Direct bus service under the LTA’s Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP).
Back to Bus Services
Back to City Direct Services
It is similar to service 512 which was removed due NE line rationalisation