Tower Transit Bus Service 853M is a trunk route linking Yishun Bus Interchange and Upper East Coast Terminal, passing through Lentor, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon, Geylang Bahru, Sims Ave/Geylang Rd, Tanjong Katong and Marine Parade. Operating only on Sundays and Public Holidays, it is an extended route of Service 853 which terminates at Lorong 1 Geylang on Weekdays and Saturdays.
853M
| Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route  |
Yishun Bus Interchange ↔ Upper East Coast Bus Terminal | |||||||||||
| Passes Through | Yishun Ave 2, Lentor Ave, Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, Upp Serangoon Rd, Kallang Bahru, Sims Ave / Geylang Rd, Tanjong Katong Rd, Marine Parade Rd, Upp East Coast Rd | |||||||||||
| Route Length | Towards Upp East Coast: 31.1 km | Towards Yishun: 32.2 km | ||||||||||
| Travelling Time | 95 mins | |||||||||||
| Operator Information | ||||||||||||
| BCM Route Package | Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package | |||||||||||
| Current Operator | Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd (Tower Transit Singapore) |
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| Current Depot | Mandai Bus Depot | |||||||||||
| Current Fleet | Single-deck & Double-deck buses Includes hybrid single deck buses (Volvo B5LH) |
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| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Yishun |
Sundays / Public Holidays |
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| 05:40 – 23:30 | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Upp East Coast |
Sundays / Public Holidays | |||||||||||
| 06:00 – 23:30 | ||||||||||||
| Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
| 6:30am–8.30am | 8.31am–4.59pm | 5.00pm–7.00pm | After 7.00pm | |||||||||
| From Yishun | 12 – 14 mins | 12 – 15 mins | 15 mins | 14 – 15 mins | ||||||||
| From Upp East Coast | 14 – 15 mins | 12 – 16 mins | 13 – 15 mins | 12 – 15 mins | ||||||||
| Fare Information |
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| Fare | Charges regular distance fares |
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Service 853M is an inter-town route serving the housing estates of Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon, Geylang Bahru, Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade and Upper East Coast. The route is frequented as a popular connection between various housing estates and as an alternative to the MRT network, serving Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon, Kallang and Aljunied stations. It benefits from moderate demand loads throughout the day, with only rigid buses deployed on the route.
This route only operates on Sundays and Public Holidays. On Weekdays and Saturdays, Service 853 plies a shorter route terminating at Lorong 1 Geylang Bus Terminal.
Service 853M shares long duplicating sectors with both Services 851 and 852 between Yishun – Ang Mo Kio, but is otherwise non-duplicative from Ang Mo Kio to Lorong 1 Geylang. The route also compliments existing Services 13 and 43 along Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade and Upper East Coast sectors.
MRT Stations Served
- NS13 Yishun
- NS14 Khatib
- NS15 Yio Chu Kang
- NE12CC13 Serangoon
- NE11 Woodleigh
- NE10 Potong Pasir
- DT24 Geylang Bahru
- EW10 Kallang
- EW9 Aljunied
- TE26 Marine Parade
- TE27 Marine Terrace
- TE28 Siglap
- TE29 Bayshore
Route Variant
- Service 853: Yishun Int ↔ Lorong 1 Geylang Ter
Operates on Weekdays & Saturdays, except Public Holidays
Gallery (Tower Transit)
Gallery (SMRT Buses) at Page 2.
Poster Gallery
![[Updated] Route Amendment for Services 853 & 853M / Renumbering of Service 853# to 853M - Opening of Yishun Integrated Transport Hub](https://landtransportguru.net/web/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sep19_Yishun-ITH-Opening_Sv853_853M_Updated-212x300.png)
Operator History
- 2019 – 04 Sep 2021: SMRT Buses Ltd
- 05 Sep 2021 – Present: Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd
The Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) for this route will be renewed in 2026 under the Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package.
History
Service 853#/853C
- 1987 (21 Jun): Introduced between Yishun Central Ter and Marine Parade Ter as an alternate route of Service 853, operating on Sundays and Public Holidays only
- 1987 (23 Aug): Amended to Yishun Int
- 1989: Serves new pair of bus stops outside Blk 206 and outside Blk 261 along Serangoon Ctrl
- 1989: Serves new staggered bus stop outside Blk 322 along Ang Mo Kio Ave 3
- 1989 (19 Nov): Serves new bus stop outside Kallang Stn along Sims Ave
- 1997 (08 Dec): Skips the bus stop outside Kallang Stn along Sims Ave
- 2001 (16 Sep): Amended to loop at Siglap Rd from Yishun Int with the closure of Marine Parade Ter
- 2001 (09 Dec): Extended to Upp East Coast Ter
- 2002: Serves new pair of bus stops after Sommerville Rd and after Sunshine Lodge along Upp Serangoon Rd
- 2003 (04 May): Amended to ply Geylang Bahru, Bendemeer Rd, Whampoa East and Serangoon Rd, skipping Jln Kolam Ayer
- 2003 (20 Jun): Serves new pair of bus stops outside Potong Pasir Stn along Upp Serangoon Rd
- 2003: Serves new bus stop outside Shell Kiosk along Tg Katong Rd
- 2003: Skips a pair of bus stops near LP 94 and opposite LP 91 along Lentor Ave
- 2004 (27 Apr): Amended to ply Geylang Rd, Kallang Rd and Sims Ave towards Yishun Int with the temporary conversion of Lor 1 Geylang to one-way traffic
- 2004 (06 Dec): Amended to ply the reinstated Lor 1 Geylang towards Yishun Int, skipping Geylang Rd, Kallang Rd and Sims Ave
- 2007: Serves additional bus stop outside Victoria Sch along Marine Parade Rd
- 2011 (13 Feb): Amended to ply Yishun Central 2
- 2013 (29 Sep): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus service (WAB)
- 2014 (10 Aug): Amended to ply Yishun Central 1
- 2015 (14 Mar): Amended to Yishun Temp Int
- 2019 (08 Sep): Amended to Yishun Integrated Transport Hub and re-numbered as Service 853M
Service 853M
- 2019 (08 Sep): Amended to Yishun Integrated Transport Hub and re-numbered from Service 853#
- 2020 (12 Jan): Skips a pair of abolished bus stops under and after Lentor Flyover along Lentor Ave
- 2021 (05 Sep): Operations transferred to Tower Transit under the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package
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I was at Yi Xiu Fty Bldg Bus Stop number 80071, I saw Bus 853M Behind Service 21, I was running for this bus (MAN A22 with the Aesys Libra Livery) and the bus driver didn’t stop! It went to overtake the Service 21! The driver was about in his 60s. And the driver saw me waving at him. But still, he didn’t stop the bus! Please help to address this. At last I had to take Service 13 to my destination at Kinex. Didn’t catch the no. plate. It happened yesterday at about 4:07p.m..
853 should extend its route to Upp East Coast and operate on Sun/PH while 853M can be withdrawn
Yes I agree
There are reasons why 853M was planned to be only on Sundays & Public Holidays.
– Initially, TIBS introduced this variant in 1987 was because to allow Yishun residents to go to nearby East Coast Park on Sundays & Public Holidays
– Unlike what 853 is serving, it has more facilities unlike the East Coast area.
– 853M had been almost being parallel to Services 13 & 135 all these while. Since 2005, 43 was eventually introduced, paralleling Serangoon – Upper East Coast
With TEL4/5 coming up…. Don’t be surprised if 853M will be withdrawn and put back to Lorong 1 Geylang on Sundays as 853
Do you realise that 13 & 45 go from Yio Chu Kang to Upper East Coast, in which 45 is a faster route from Yio Chu Kang to Upper East Coast?