Tower Transit Bus Service 873 is a trunk service operating from Tengah and looping at Hume MRT Station, connecting Tengah to Bukit Gombak, Hume, and Hillview MRT stations. Departures alternate with Service 873M, a variant that runs a shorter route looping at Bukit Batok Street 52.
Bus Services 873 & 873M will be launched on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
↺ Upp Bt Timah Rd (Loop)
| Route Overview | ||||||||||||
Route  |
Tengah Bus Interchange ↺ Upp Bukit Timah Rd (Loop) | |||||||||||
| Passes Through | Bt Batok Rd, Bt Batok West Ave 7, Bt Batok West Ave 5, Hillview Ave | |||||||||||
| Route Length | TBC | |||||||||||
| Travelling Time | TBC | |||||||||||
| Operator Information | ||||||||||||
| BCM Route Package | Bulim Bus Package | |||||||||||
| Current Operator | Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd (Tower Transit Singapore) |
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| Current Depot | Bulim Bus Depot | |||||||||||
| Current Fleet | TBC | |||||||||||
| Operating Hours | ||||||||||||
| Departure Times from Tengah |
Daily | |||||||||||
| 05:30 – 23:30 | ||||||||||||
| Operating Frequency | ||||||||||||
| Loop Service | Weekday Peak Hours: 20 mins Weekday Off-Peak Hours, Saturdays & Sundays / Public Holidays: 30 mins |
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| Fare Information |
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| Fare | Charges regular distance fares |
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Bus Service 873 connects Tengah to the Bukit Gombak, Hume, and Hillview MRT stations, providing direct access to schools and amenities in Bukit Batok West, Bukit Gombak, and Hillview.
This service is introduced under the LTA’s Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP), a ~$900 million government scheme that funds new buses, infrastructure improvements, and operating costs of new bus services between 2024–2032.
Alternate Departures
Service 873 schedules alternate departures from Tengah Interchange with its variant, Service 873M. Service 873M runs a shorter route that loops at Bukit Batok Street 52.
Between Tengah, Bukit Gombak MRT Station, and Bukit Batok Street 52, the combined services offer a 10-minute frequency during weekday peak hours, and a 15-minute frequency during weekday off-peak hours, weekends, and Public Holidays.
MRT Stations Served
- NS3 Bukit Gombak
- DT4 Hume
- DT3 Hillview
Route Variant
- Service 873M: Tengah Int ↺ Bukit Batok St 52 (Loop)
Daily; Alternate departures from Tengah Int. Operates a shorter route looping at Bukit Gombak.
Poster Gallery
Operator History:
- From 25 Oct 2026: Tower Transit Singapore Pte Ltd
Route History:
- 2026 (25 Oct): Introduced between Tengah Int and Upp Bukit Timah Rd (Loop) under the LTA’s Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP), operating as alternate departures with route variant Service 873M.
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I agreed.. This is what they’re doing all this while instead of everything under one service why not got 1 more for the convenience of commuters..
I think the horrible 20/30 min intervals will negate many of the benefits of introducing this service. Those travelling between Hillview and Bt Gombak/Tengah area have to wait 30 mins between buses and tbh, I don’t think anyone in the right mind will want to wait that long for 873 when its probably much faster to take 871 to BB East Ave 2 and xfer to 176 at the opposite stop. Why can’t LTA make 873/873M independent services that doesn’t operate alternative trips? Is it because Bulim depot is overstrained and they don’t have enough manpower/resources to cater?
873 duplicates 63% of 945, just as 874 duplicates 60% of 300. Of course, 945 and 300, being feeder services, operate at twice the frequency of 873 and 874, which are trunk services.
There is also an existing precedent that has been operating for more than 10 years: 243 (feeder) and 258 (trunk). Services 243G and 243W collectively cover 28 bus stops (with the bus interchange counted twice), while 258 duplicates 57% of 243.
This demonstrates that trunk–feeder duplication is perfectly acceptable, provided that the overlap remains within a reasonable range of around 55–65%. So, let us not have another round of arguments claiming that, because of the heavy duplication, either service is somehow unnecessary. If the country has the resources to operate overlapping services in order to improve connectivity, we should simply appreciate the additional connectivity rather than regard the duplication as a problem.
I agreed.. This is what they’re doing all this while instead of everything under one service why not got 1 more for the convenience of commuters..
That depends on how well the frequencies are coordinated. It’s better for two 945 to be spaced with regular intervals, rather than for 873 & 945 to both have a long delay then suddenly arrive together (like bunching).
As for connectivity, I still think priorities are currently misplaced when places having decent connections keep getting new services, including underutilized svcs such as 457, as opposed to places that actually need better connections (e.g. Yew Tee areas w/o 979, Yishun East, other areas only served by feeders and no trunks to neighbouring towns).
The priority of this service is the Tengah-Bt Gombak connection, especially on the side of Tengah Park. At the moment the Park district has terrible connectivity even though it’s where the Interchange is located, since all the services go through the Garden/Plantation district before even leaving Tengah. Given that a few projects were completed there recently with more still coming up, it’s a priority for that region of Tengah to get better connections.
The bus stop #4 will be finally be in used again after 20 years.
Used to be which svc?
If I remember correctly, the last service to use that bus stop is 989.
Oh, I Googled a bit, and the last service to use that bus stop was not 989, but was 985 instead.
Bus 985 route was changed to ply along Bukit Batok West Ave 5 and 7 in Apr 2006, and that bus stop was in disused ever since.
Thanks Lola is it at Little Guilin there sorry cause I reside at North area… Before this East area.
It is near HometownNS Bukit Gombak.
Old SBS Bus 185, SMRT 985/985W before re-reouting in 2006.
989 then later 985W in the 90s/00s if I recall…
also bus stop #10 on 873M
Disaster frequency, should have just done 873M’s routing and made it 10min
Why M variant need to be high frequency? Should be grateful that got a service ply this route.