(Defunct) SMRT Bus Service 700

SMRT Bus Service 700 was a trunk route between Bukit Panjang Temp Bus Pk and Shenton Way Terminal, passing through Petir, Bukit Timah, Orchard, Bras Basah and Fullerton. It incorporated an express sector between and Dairy Farm Road and Whitley Road via BKE and PIE. This service operated along with its route variant, Service 700A which looped at Suntec City, while skipping Shenton Way.

Service 700 was withdrawn on 30 August 2020. The last day of service was on 29 August 2020.

700
48009 Bt Panjang Temp Bus Pk Woodlands Rd
44251 Bt Panjang Stn/Blk 604 DT1-BP6 Bt Panjang Rd
44241 Opp Lompang Rd Bt Panjang Rd
44231 Zhenghua Pr Sch Bt Panjang Rd
44229 Bef Pending Stn BP8 Pending Rd
44371 Blk 219 Petir Rd
44381 Blk 202 Petir Rd
44351 Aft Chestnut Ave Petir Rd
44361 Bef Dairy Farm Rd Petir Rd
40239 Bef Stevens Stn Exit 4 DT10TE11 Whitley Rd
40089 Aft Stevens Stn Exit 5 DT10TE11 Dunearn Rd
40079 Bef Swiss Cottage Est Dunearn Rd
40119 Bef Goldhill Ave Dunearn Rd
40069 Anglo-Chinese Sch Dunearn Rd
40059 Chancery Ct Dunearn Rd
40049 Opp Newton Stn Exit C NS21-DT11 Dunearn Rd
40189 Newton Stn Exit B NS21-DT11 Scotts Rd
40179 Env Bldg Scotts Rd
09219 Far East Plaza Scotts Rd
09047 Orchard Stn/Tang Plaza NS22TE14 Orchard Rd
09037 Bef Cairnhill Rd NS22TE14 Orchard Rd
08138 Concorde Hotel S'pore Orchard Rd
08057 Dhoby Ghaut Stn NS24NE6CC1 Orchard Rd
08069 Bencoolen Stn Exit B DT21 Bras Basah Rd
04179 Aft Bras Basah Stn Exit A CC2 Bras Basah Rd
02049 Raffles Hotel Bras Basah Rd
02119 Opp War Memorial Pk CC3 Nicoll Highway
03019 OUE Bayfront EW14NS26 Collyer Quay
03059 One Raffles Quay Raffles Quay
03129 UIC Bldg TE19 Shenton Way
03218 Opp MAS Bldg EW15 Shenton Way
03239 Shenton Way Ter Shenton Way
03223 Tanjong Pagar Stn Exit C EW15 Anson Rd
03151 Opp GB Bldg Cecil St
03021 Prudential Twr Cecil St
03011 Fullerton Sq EW14NS26 Fullerton Rd
02111 Esplanade Bridge Esplanade Dr
04111 Capitol Bldg EW13NS25 Stamford Rd
04121 SMU CC2 Stamford Rd
08041 YMCA Orchard Rd
08031 Dhoby Ghaut Stn Exit B NS24NE6CC1 Penang Rd
08111 Winsland Hse Penang Rd
08121 Somerset Stn NS23 Somerset Rd
09011 Opp Ngee Ann City Orchard Turn
09023 Opp Orchard Stn/ION NS22TE14 Orchard Turn
09212 Royal Plaza On Scotts Scotts Rd
40171 Opp Env Bldg Scotts Rd
40181 Newton Stn Exit A NS21-DT11 Scotts Rd
40041 Newton Stn Exit C NS21-DT11 Bt Timah Rd
40051 Balmoral Plaza Bt Timah Rd
40111 Ferrell Residences Bt Timah Rd
40071 Leng Kwang Baptist Ch Bt Timah Rd
40081 Stevens Stn Exit 1 DT10TE11 Bt Timah Rd
40231 Raffles Town Club DT10TE11 Whitley Rd
44369 Aft Dairy Farm Rd Petir Rd
44359 Bef Chestnut Ave Petir Rd
44389 Opp Blk 201 Petir Rd
44379 Opp Blk 219 Petir Rd
44221 Opp Pending Stn BP8 Pending Rd
44239 Opp Zhenghua Pr Sch Bt Panjang Rd
44249 Blk 174 Bt Panjang Rd
44259 Blk 183 Bt Panjang Rd
48009 Bt Panjang Temp Bus Pk Woodlands Rd

Notes:

  • No alighting at Shenton Way Bus Terminal
  • No boarding and alighting at Bukit Panjang Temp Bus Pk
Route Overview
Route WAB_logo_20px Bukit Panjang Temporary Bus Park ↔ Shenton Way Bus Terminal
Passes Through Petir Rd, Dunearn Rd / Bukit Timah Rd, Orchard Rd, Bras Basah Rd, Fullerton Rd, Cecil St
Route Length Towards Shenton Way: 21.6 km Towards Bt Panjang Temp Bus Pk: 20.5 km
Traveling Time 85 mins
Operator Information
Former BCM Route Package Choa Chu Kang – Bukit Panjang Bus Package
Former Operator SMRT Buses Ltd
Former Depot Kranji Bus Depot (KJDEP)
Buses park at: Ulu Pandan Bus Depot (UPDEP)
Former Fleet 12-metre Single Deck Bus
– Mercedes-Benz OC500LE
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Bukit Panjang Temp Bus Park
Weekdays Saturdays Sundays / Public Holidays
05:55 – 18:34 05:55 – 13:00 No Operation
Departure Times from Shenton Way
Weekdays Saturdays Sundays / Public Holidays
06:30 – 19:30 06:30 – 14:00 No Operation
Operating Frequency
  6:30am–8.30am 8.31am–4.59pm 5.00pm–7.00pm After 7.00pm
From Bt Panjang Temp Bus Pk 4 – 10 mins 10 – 13 mins 10 – 12 mins –
From Shenton Way
13 mins 9 – 13 mins 10 – 11 mins 11 mins
Fare Information
Fare Charges regular distance fares

 

Service 700 was an express link between Bukit Panjang and the city areas of Bukit Timah, Orchard Road and Shenton Way, incorporating an express sector between Dairy Farm Road and Whitley Road along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) and Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE).

This route operates either as Service 700 or 700A depending on times of day. Service 700, which serves the Central Business District around Shenton Way and Fullerton, operates on Weekdays from mornings to evenings, and Saturdays from mornings to mid-day. On Weekday nights, Saturday afternoon & nights, and on Sundays/Public Holidays, Service 700A will operate, looping at Suntec City and serving the Marina Centre area while skipping Fullerton and Shenton Way.

Double-deck buses were regularly deployed on Service 700 and 700A from 15 September 2014 till December 2019.

MRT / LRT Stations Served:
Route Variant:
  • Service 700A: Bukit Panjang Temp Bus Pk ↺ Temasek Avenue (Loop)
    Selected hours on Weekdays & Saturdays
    Full day on Sundays / Public Holidays

Historical bits:
SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G Hispano MkI (TIB895S) - Rapidbus Service 700. Retrieved from an old SMRT publication.
SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G Hispano MkI (TIB895S) – Rapidbus Service 700. Retrieved from an old SMRT publication.

Originally introduced as Rapidbus 700 between Woodlands and Shenton Way in 1998, the pioneering service only calls at a limited number of bus stops along high demand corridors. Buses on the route were fitted with special transponders which retain the green light at selected traffic junctions until the bus has cleared the junction. The transponder trial was later discontinued. Buses also displayed the Rapidbus logo on the Electronic Display Signs. Rapidbus was discontinued in 1999, with 700 being shortened to Bukit Panjang – Shenton Way and converted to a regular trunk service. At the same time, the 700A variant was introduced, looping at Marina Centre.

Special Departures: (Former)
  • Petir Road (Opp Blk 201) → Bukit Panjang Temp Bus Pk
    Weekdays & Saturdays: 05:40 – 07:00, until the first bus from Shenton Way arrives

During Weekday Morning Peak hours, several Service 700 departures from Bukit Panjang Temp Bus Pk terminated at Shenton Way (Opp MAS Bldg), one bus stop before the route’s terminating point at Shenton Way Terminal (Former last stop: Palmer Rd – Aft Shenton Way). This is to facilitate quicker Off Service trips back to Bukit Panjang. This arrangement lasted till 23 Jun 2017, when Service 700 was amended into the relocated Shenton Way Terminal which does not allow passenger alighting, making Shenton Way – Opp MAS Bldg the last stop for Service 700.

On the last day of service (29 August 2020), the last bus departing Bukit Panjang at 13:00 was performed by SMB126G, and the last bus departing Shenton Way at 14:00 was performed by SMB125J. Both were Mercedes-Benz OC500LE buses.


Gallery (Buses):
Poster Gallery

 


Operator History:
  • 31 August 1998 – 9 May 2004: Trans-Island Bus Services Ltd
  • 10 May 2004 – 29 August 2020: SMRT Buses Ltd
History:
  • 1998 (31 Aug): Introduced as Rapidbus 700 between Woodlands Reg Int and Shenton Way Ter
  • 1999 (26 Dec): Shortened to Bt Panjang Int and revised to operate during the day on weekdays and Saturdays only under Bukit Panjang LRT Rationalisation
  • 2000: Serves new bus stop before Goldhill Ave along Dunearn Rd
  • 2000: Serves new bus stop after Shenton Way along Palmer Rd
  • 2002 (07 Jul): Skips the bus stop outside Orchard Emerald along Orchard Rd
  • 2002: Converted to regular trunk service, serving all bus stops along Bt Timah Rd/Dunearn Rd and Scotts Rd
  • 2005 (02 Jul): Amended to ply Grange Rd and Orchard Link with the partial closure of Somerset Rd
  • 2006 (18 Jun): Integrated with Service 921 and amended to ply Pending Rd, Petir Rd and Dairy Farm Rd
  • 2006 (29 Oct): Serves relocated bus stop outside Orchard Stn along Orchard Turn
  • 2009 (18 Jan): Serves 2 new pairs of bus stops after and before Chestnut Ave and before and after Dairy Farm Rd along Petir Rd
  • 2012 (01 Jul): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
  • 2012 (16 Dec): Amended to Bukit Panjang Temp Bus Park with the closure of Bt Panjang Int
  • 2013: Service improvement under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP)
  • 2017 (25 Jun): Amended to relocated Shenton Way Bus Terminal
  • 2020 (03 Aug): Announcement of Service Withdrawal on 16 Aug 2020
  • 2020 (13 Aug): Service withdrawal announced to be postponed to 30 Aug 2020
  • 2020 (30 Aug): Service withdrawn
Past Routings:
Year Direction 1 Direction 2
1998 Woodlands Reg Int, Woodlands Ave 5, Marsiling Rise, Marsiling Rd, Marsiling Lane, Marsiling Dr, Marsiling Rd, Woodlands Centre Rd, Woodlands Ave 3, Woodlands Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, BKE, PIE, Whitley Rd, Dunearn Rd, Scotts Rd, Orchard Rd, Bras Basah Rd, Nicoll Highway, Fullerton Rd, Collyer Quay, Raffles Quay, Shenton Way, Palmer Rd and Shenton Way Ter. Shenton Way Ter, Palmer Rd, Anson Rd, Cecil St, Collyer Quay, Fullerton Rd, Nicoll Highway, Stamford Rd, Penang Rd, Somerset Rd, Orchard Turn, Orchard Blvd, Paterson Rd, Scotts Rd, Bt Timah Rd, Whitley Rd, PIE, BKE, Bt Panjang Rd, Woodlands Rd, Woodlands Ave 3, Woodlands Centre Rd, Marsiling Rd, Marsiling Dr, Marsiling Lane, Marsiling Rd, Marsiling Rise, Woodlands Ave 5 and Woodlands Reg Int.
1999 Bt Panjang Int, Jelebu Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, BKE, PIE, Whitley Rd, Dunearn Rd, Scotts Rd, Orchard Rd, Bras Basah Rd, Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Dr, Fullerton Rd, Collyer Quay, Raffles Quay, Shenton Way, Palmer Rd and Shenton Way Ter. Shenton Way Ter, Palmer Rd, Anson Rd, Cecil St, Collyer Quay, Fullerton Rd, Esplanade Dr, Stamford Rd, Orchard Rd, Penang Rd, Somerset Rd, Orchard Turn, Orchard Blvd, Paterson Rd, Scotts Rd, Bt Timah Rd, Whitley Rd, PIE, BKE, Bt Panjang Rd, Jelebu Rd and Bt Panjang Int.
2005 Bt Panjang Int, Jelebu Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, BKE, PIE, Whitley Rd, Dunearn Rd, Scotts Rd, Orchard Rd, Bras Basah Rd, Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Dr, Fullerton Rd, Collyer Quay, Raffles Quay, Shenton Way, Palmer Rd and Shenton Way Ter. Shenton Way Ter, Palmer Rd, Anson Rd, Cecil St, Collyer Quay, Fullerton Rd, Esplanade Dr, Stamford Rd, Orchard Rd, Penang Rd, Somerset Rd, Grange Rd, Orchard Link, Orchard Turn, Orchard Blvd, Paterson Rd, Scotts Rd, Bt Timah Rd, Whitley Rd, PIE, BKE, Bt Panjang Rd, Jelebu Rd and Bt Panjang Int.
2006 Bt Panjang Int, Jelebu Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, Pending Rd, Petir Rd, Dairy Farm Rd, BKE, PIE, Whitley Rd, Dunearn Rd, Scotts Rd, Orchard Rd, Bras Basah Rd, Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Dr, Fullerton Rd, Collyer Quay, Raffles Quay, Shenton Way, Palmer Rd and Shenton Way Ter. Shenton Way Ter, Palmer Rd, Anson Rd, Cecil St, Collyer Quay, Fullerton Rd, Esplanade Dr, Stamford Rd, Orchard Rd, Penang Rd, Somerset Rd, Grange Rd, Orchard Link, Orchard Turn, Orchard Blvd, Paterson Rd, Scotts Rd, Bt Timah Rd, Whitley Rd, PIE, BKE, Dairy Farm Rd, Petir Rd, Pending Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, Jelebu Rd and Bt Panjang Int.
2012 Bt Panjang Temp Bus Park, Woodlands Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, Pending Rd, Petir Rd, Dairy Farm Rd, BKE, PIE, Whitley Rd, Dunearn Rd, Scotts Rd, Orchard Rd, Bras Basah Rd, Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Dr, Fullerton Rd, Collyer Quay, Raffles Quay, Shenton Way, Palmer Rd and Shenton Way Ter. Shenton Way Ter, Palmer Rd, Anson Rd, Cecil St, Collyer Quay, Fullerton Rd, Esplanade Dr, Stamford Rd, Orchard Rd, Penang Rd, Somerset Rd, Grange Rd, Orchard Link, Orchard Turn, Orchard Blvd, Paterson Rd, Scotts Rd, Bt Timah Rd, Whitley Rd, PIE, BKE, Dairy Farm Rd, Petir Rd, Pending Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, Woodlands Rd and Bt Panjang Temp Bus Park.
2017 Bt Panjang Temp Bus Park, Woodlands Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, Pending Rd, Petir Rd, Dairy Farm Rd, BKE, PIE, Whitley Rd, Dunearn Rd, Scotts Rd, Orchard Rd, Bras Basah Rd, Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Dr, Fullerton Rd, Collyer Quay, Raffles Quay, Shenton Way and Shenton Way Ter. Shenton Way Ter, Prince Edward Rd, Shenton Way, Palmer Rd, Anson Rd, Cecil St, Collyer Quay, Fullerton Rd, Esplanade Dr, Stamford Rd, Orchard Rd, Penang Rd, Somerset Rd, Grange Rd, Orchard Link, Orchard Turn, Orchard Blvd, Paterson Rd, Scotts Rd, Bt Timah Rd, Whitley Rd, PIE, BKE, Dairy Farm Rd, Petir Rd, Pending Rd, Bt Panjang Rd, Woodlands Rd and Bt Panjang Temp Bus Park.

 


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20 thoughts on “(Defunct) SMRT Bus Service 700

  • Pingback: Financial pragmatism or strategic shift? Questioning the motives behind bus service 167's initial cancellation - Gutzy Asia

  • 16 May 2022 at 10:10 AM
    Permalink

    This may sound extreme but can benefit buses 66, 67, 170, 171, 700 and 972/M (assuming 66 and 171 hasn’t been shortened and 700 hasn’t been withdrawn): CLOSE DTL from Bukit Panjang to Botanic Gardens.

    Reply
    • 1 July 2022 at 11:19 PM
      Permalink

      66 is Jurong East – Beauty World, but in my opinion it could have went to Queen Street to replace service 170 because the DTL2 is full at that moment.

      The problem of shortening bus services/or even withdrawal in Singapore, is equivalent to London’s shortening of bus services as well. Since then, the bus routes that faced the axe is – 74e, 128, 147e, 151e, 167e, 188R, 402, 700, 926, 963R, 971, NR1, NR2, NR3, NR5, NR6, NR7, NR8, 1N, 2N, 3N, 4N, 5N, 6N, CT8 and CT18. Or goes to the rationalisation of 2A, 7A, 7B, 12e, 22, 65, 66, 117A/B, 506, 851e and 960e. It comes at the severe financial stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

      Reply
  • 26 February 2021 at 1:29 PM
    Permalink

    No point for 700 to extend to Gali Batu as it will make the demand more super lower. Eventhough I regretted that I missed 700/700A, but can you be more sensible in some things?

    700/700A was withdrawn on 30 August 2020 due to LOW demand and alot of duplication along the routing. Felt bad for Petir/Pending, but the route along the way, demand is NOT sustainable. Even goes to Gali Batu or whatsoever, many along that Bukit Panjang Road section mostly can take 190.

    Even I upset when 700/700A was withdrawn, but please use some sense why needs to be withdrawn in the first place. There’s other ways can help like amending 972M or whatsoever. Reintroducing 700 is not even a good idea as it will be deemed as useless.

    Reply
  • 14 February 2021 at 6:05 PM
    Permalink

    Why need to withdraw 700? Reintroduce this bus service, extend it to gali batu and make it full day. No need for 700A, and withdraw bus 972M

    Reply

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