Tower Transit Bus Service 861

Tower Transit Bus Service 861 is a trunk service from Sembawang Int and looping at Khatib MRT Station, passing through Canberra, Yishun Avenue 6 and Yishun Avenue 1. It is the first bus service launched under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP).

Service 861 commenced service on 15 September 2024.

Note:

• Service 861 stops at Bus Stop 58621 – Blk 126 CP, Canberra Street in both directions.
  Check the bus destination before boarding.

Route Overview
Route	Sembawang Bus Interchange ↺ Yishun Ring Road (Loop)
Passes Through	Canberra St, Yishun Ave 6, Yishun Ave 1
Route Length	21.8 km
Travelling Time	100 mins
Operator Information
BCM Route Package	Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package
Current Operator	Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd (Tower Transit Singapore)
Current Depot	Mandai Bus Depot
Current Fleet	Single-deck buses
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Sembawang	Weekdays				Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays
	05:30 – 23:17				05:30 – 23:18
	A trip at 23:30 daily operates as Service 861A which terminates at Yishun Ring Rd (Khatib Stn Exit D).
Departure Times from Yishun Ring Rd (Khatib Stn Exit D)	Weekdays				Saturdays				Sundays / Public Holidays
	06:00 – 23:58				06:00 – 23:59				06:00 – 23:58
Operating Frequency
Loop Service	6:30am–8.30am			8.31am–4.59pm			5.00pm–7.00pm			After 7.00pm
Weekdays	10 – 12 mins			10 – 12 mins			10 mins			12 – 13 mins
Saturdays	12 mins			12 mins			12 mins			12 mins
Sundays / Public Holidays	12 mins			12 mins			12 mins			12 mins
Fare Information
Fare	Charges regular distance fares

Service 861 is a trunk service that enhances connectivity to new and existing residential developments around Canberra and Yishun East, linking them with Sembawang, Canberra, and Khatib MRT stations.

The sector between Sembawang and Canberra estate is also nearly identical to Bus Service 883, and offers a quicker route to Sembawang Int by skipping Sembawang Dr.

Major schools and amenities served by this service include:

• Sun Plaza
• Bukit Canberra
• Canberra Plaza
• Chongfu Primary School
• Northland Secondary School
• Wisteria Mall
• Naval Base Primary School
• Chung Cheng High School (Yishun)
• Khatib Polyclinic

After Khatib MRT Station, the service skips stops along Yishun Ring Rd, Yishun Ave 3 and Yishun Ave 2 to loop back along Yishun Ring Rd towards Sembawang. The skipping of stops along this sector could be to facilitate a future route amendment that results in Service 861 skipping this sector, as was the case for Bus Service 20 between 2013 and 2017, when it skipped stops along Upp Changi Rd East and Xilin Ave before its route amendment to Somapah Rd.

Some of the service details were announced in a Facebook Post by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport, Second Minister for Finance and MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC on 29 August 2024.

Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme

Service 861 is the first new bus service introduced under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP), a ~$900 million government scheme to fund the purchase of new buses, infrastructural improvements, and operating cost of new bus services between 2024–2032.

Like the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) that came before it, the first bus service under the BCEP will serve the Yishun housing estate. In October 2012, Bus Service 860 was the first bus service introduced under the BSEP.

MRT Stations Served

• NS11 Sembawang
• NS12 Canberra
• NS14 Khatib

Special Departures:

• Yishun Ring Rd (Khatib Stn Exit D) → Sembawang Int
  Daily: 06:00
  

Short Trip Service

• Service 861A: Sembawang Int → Yishun Ring Rd (Khatib Stn Exit D)
  Daily: 23:30

Gallery:

Operator History:

• 15 Sep 2024 – Present: Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd

This route’s Bus Service Operating License (BSOL) will be renewed in 2026 under the Sembawang–Yishun Bus Package.

History:

• 2024 (15 Sep): Introduced between Sembawang Int and Yishun Ring Road (Loop) under the LTA’s Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP).

Past Routings

References:

• Facebook Post by Chee Hong Tat 徐芳达