Tower Transit Bus Service 963

Tower Transit Bus Service 963 is a trunk route linking Woodlands Bus Interchange and HarbourFront Interchange, passing through Marsiling, BKE, Bukit Panjang, Upper Bukit Timah, Hillview, Bukit Batok, Toh Tuck, AYE, Alexandra and Telok Blangah. It has an express variant, Express 963e, which operates during Weekday Peak hours.

963
46009 Woodlands Int B9 NS9TE2 Woodlands Sq
46549 Blk 347 Woodlands Ave 3
46539 Blk 320 Woodlands Ave 3
46529 Opp Marsiling Stn NS8 Woodlands Ave 3
46491 Blk 402 Woodlands Ave 3
44269 Blk 223 Bt Panjang Rd
44229 Bef Pending Stn BP8 Pending Rd
44219 Bet Blks 139/140 Petir Rd
44209 Opp Petir Stn BP7 Petir Rd
44731 Opp Blk 180 DT1-BP6 Jelebu Rd
44259 Blk 183 Bt Panjang Rd
44029 Bt Panjang Stn Exit A/Lrt DT1-BP6 Upp Bt Timah Rd
44019 The Linear Upp Bt Timah Rd
43119 Bef Hazel Pk Terr Upp Bt Timah Rd
43109 Cashew Stn DT2 Upp Bt Timah Rd
43099 Assumption Pathway Sch Upp Bt Timah Rd
43089 Aft Assumption Eng Sch Upp Bt Timah Rd
43279 Aft Hillview Stn DT3 Hillview Rd
43268 Hillington Green Condo Hillview Ave
43259 Opp Hillbrooks Hillview Ave
43249 Hillview Apts Hillview Ave
43239 The Petals Condo Hillview Ave
43161 Blk 272 Bt Batok East Ave 4
43189 Blk 283 Bt Batok East Ave 3
43619 Blk 289E Bt Batok East Ave 3
43629 St. Andrew's Mission Sch Bt Batok East Ave 3
42319 Burgundy Hill Bt Batok East Ave 3
28109 SMRT Ulu Pandan Depot Toh Tuck Ave
28189 Aft Toh Tuck Link Toh Tuck Ave
28019 Aft Toh Tuck Ave C'wealth Ave West
20109 Blk 203 C'wealth Ave West
17051 Opp Regent Pk Clementi Ave 6
20019 Blk 431 AYE
17149 Blk 426 AYE
17139 Aft Clementi Swim Cplx AYE
17129 Aft NUS High Sch AYE
16099 SIT Dover AYE
18079 Opp NUH Buona Vista Flyover
18109 Opp PSB Science Pk Bldg Buona Vista Flyover
18049 Opp Science Pk AYE
18019 Bef Telok Blangah Hill Pk Alexandra Rd
15059 Opp Alexandra Pt Alexandra Rd
15049 Opp Alexandra Retail Ctr Alexandra Rd
14189 Aft Alexandra Rd Telok Blangah Rd
14179 Yeo's Bldg Telok Blangah Rd
14169 Opp Telok Blangah Stn CC28 Telok Blangah Rd
14159 Bef Chr Community Chapel Telok Blangah Rd
14139 Bef Seah Im Rd Telok Blangah Rd
14009 HarbourFront Int NE1CC29 Seah Im Rd
14009 HarbourFront Int A10 NE1CC29 Seah Im Rd
14131 Caribbean at Keppel Bay Telok Blangah Rd
14151 Opp Chr Community Chapel Telok Blangah Rd
14161 Telok Blangah Stn CC28 Telok Blangah Rd
14171 Opp Yeo's Bldg Telok Blangah Rd
15041 Alexandra Retail Ctr Alexandra Rd
15051 Alexandra Pt Alexandra Rd
18011 Aft Hortpark Alexandra Rd
18041 Normanton Pk AYE
18131 Science Pk AYE
18101 5 Sci Pk Dr Buona Vista Flyover
18071 NUH Buona Vista Flyover
16091 Opp SIT Dover AYE
17121 Blk 610 AYE
17131 Clementi Flyover AYE
17141 Clementi Stadium AYE
17059 Regent Pk Clementi Ave 6
20101 Nan Hua Pr Sch C'wealth Ave West
28011 Bef Toh Tuck Ave C'wealth Ave West
28181 Bef Toh Tuck Link Toh Tuck Ave
28101 Opp SMRT Ulu Pandan Depot Toh Tuck Ave
42311 Opp Burgundy Hill Bt Batok East Ave 3
43621 Opp Parkview Apts Bt Batok East Ave 3
43611 Blk 290H Bt Batok East Ave 3
43181 Keming Pr Sch Bt Batok East Ave 3
43169 Blk 254 Bt Batok East Ave 4
43231 Opp The Petals Condo Hillview Ave
43241 Opp Hillview Apts Hillview Ave
43251 Hillbrooks Hillview Ave
43261 Opp Hillview Hts Hillview Ave
43271 Glendale Pk Condo Hillview Rd
43061 Hillview Stn DT3 Upp Bt Timah Rd
43071 Opp Dairy Farm Rd Upp Bt Timah Rd
43081 Opp Assumption Eng Sch Upp Bt Timah Rd
43091 Bef Cashew Stn DT2 Upp Bt Timah Rd
43111 Min Of Defence Upp Bt Timah Rd
44011 Opp The Linear Upp Bt Timah Rd
44021 Bt Panjang Stn Exit B DT1-BP6 Upp Bt Timah Rd
44251 Bt Panjang Stn/Blk 604 DT1-BP6 Bt Panjang Rd
44739 Blk 180 Jelebu Rd
44201 Aft Petir Stn BP7 Petir Rd
44211 Blk 127 Petir Rd
44221 Opp Pending Stn BP8 Pending Rd
44261 Blk 270 Bt Panjang Rd
46499 Opp Blk 402 Woodlands Ave 3
46521 Marsiling Stn NS8 Woodlands Ave 3
46531 Blk 173 Woodlands Ave 3
46541 Marsiling Mall Woodlands Ave 3
46009 Woodlands Int NS9TE2 Woodlands Sq
Route Overview
Route WAB_logo_20px Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub ↔ HarbourFront Bus Interchange
Passes Through Woodlands Ave 3, Petir Rd, Upp Bt Timah Rd, Hillview Ave, Bt Batok East Ave 3, AYE, Alexandra Rd, Telok Blangah Rd
Route Length Towards HarbourFront: 29.7 km Towards Woodlands: 29.2 km
Travelling Time 85 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 Bus:
– MAN A22
Double Deck Bus:
– Alexander Dennis Enviro500
– Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (3-Door)
– MAN A95
Operating Hours
Departure Times from Woodlands
Daily
05:50 – 23:30
Departure Times from HarbourFront
Daily
06:00 – 23:30
Operating Frequency
6:30am–8.30am 8.31am–4.59pm 5.00pm–7.00pm After 7.00pm
From Woodlands 6 – 12 mins 6 – 14 mins 11 – 14 mins 12 – 16 mins
From HarbourFront
11 – 14 mins 9 – 14 mins 7 – 11 mins 7 – 13 mins
Fare Information
Fare Charges regular distance fares

 

Service 963 is an inter-town route serving between the residential towns of Woodlands, Bukit Panjang, Hillview, Bukit Batok and Telok Blangah. Its direct nature makes it a fast connection between various points on its route. The route compliments Service 97 between AYE – HarbourFront, Services 176 and 970 between Hillview – Bukit Panjang, and Services 187 and 966 between Bukit Panjang – Woodlands. Demand for the service is moderate during offpeak hours, but receives high demand during the peak hours, and operates a proportionately large split-shift fleet along with high-capacity buses to cope with demand.

Originally introduced Express 521 in September 1999 with brand-new Hino HS3KRKK ‘smiley’ buses, its launch coincided with the extension of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme to outer ring roads, in an effort to encourage more commuters to opt for public transport. It charged discounted fares (normal air-con bus fares) during off-peak periods, and express fares during peak periods. Later in 2002, it was extended to Woodlands and downgraded to a regular trunk route, and renumbered as Service 963.

MRT/LRT Stations Served:
Special Departures:
  • Bukit Panjang Rd (Blk 223) → HarbourFront Int
    Weekdays: 05:35, 05:43, 05:51, 05:59, 06:08 & 08:13
    Saturdays: 05:45 & 05:56
    Sundays / Public Holidays: 05:50
  • Hillview Rd (Aft Hillview Stn) → HarbourFront Int
    Weekdays: 05:45, 06:54 & 08:21
  • Bukit Batok East Ave 3 (Opp Burgundy Hill) → Woodlands Int
    Weekdays: 06:00, 06:14 & 18:07
    Saturdays: 06:00 & 06:12
  • Jelebu Rd (Blk 180) → Woodlands Int
    Weekdays: 06:45, 06:58 & 07:13
Route Variant:
  • Express 963e: Woodlands Int ⇌ HarbourFront Int
    Weekdays Peak Hours

Gallery (Tower Transit):

 

Gallery (SMRT Buses) at Page 2.

Poster Gallery:

Operator History:
  • 2002 – 2004: Trans-Island Bus Services Ltd
  • 2004 – 18 Sep 2021: SMRT Buses Ltd
  • 19 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:

Express 521:

  • 1999 (01 Sep): Introduced between Bt Panjang Ter and World Trade Ctr Ter, operating daily
  • 1999 (26 Dec): Amended to Bt Panjang Int
  • 2000: Serves additional pair of bus stops outside and opposite ITE Dover along AYE
  • 2002 (29 Sep): Extended to Woodlands Reg Int, amended to ply Bt Batok East Ave 4, converted to trunk service and re-numbered Service 963

Service 963:

  • 2002 (29 Sep): Re-numbered from Express Service 521 as a service between Woodlands Reg Int and World Trade Ctr Ter
  • 2005 (12 Jun): Serves new bus stop outside Science Park along AYE
  • 2005: Serves new staggered bus stop outside Hillington Green Condo along Hillview Ave, skipping the bus stop outside Hillview Heights
  • 2010 (23 May): Skips temporarily abolished bus stop outside Assumption Voc Inst along Upp Bt Timah Rd to facilitate the construction of Cashew MRT station along the Downtown MRT Line
  • 2015 (01 Mar): Serves reinstated bus stop outside Assumption Pathway Sch along Upp Bt Timah Rd
  • 2015 (14 Jun): Designated wheelchair-accessible bus route (WAB)
  • 2015 (27 Dec): Serves additional bus stop outside Hillview Stn along Upp Bt Timah Rd
  • 2016 (12 Mar): Amended to Woodlands Temp Int
  • 2017 (04 Sep): Serves the pair of bus stops outside and opposite Blk 180 along Jelebu Rd, skipping the pair of bus stops outside and opposite Bt Panjang Plaza
  • 2021 (13 Jun): Amended to Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub
  • 2021 (19 Sep): Operations transferred to Tower Transit under the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package

Past Routings

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10 thoughts on “Tower Transit Bus Service 963

  • 30 January 2023 at 1:43 PM
    Permalink

    Bad service provided by TTS.
    Bus bunching is frequently seen during non peak hours.
    Bus driver drives slow like a snail.
    Much improvement is needed!

    Reply

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