History of Woodlands Bus Services

Introduction:

Woodlands is one of Singapore’s largest public residential estates developed since the 1970s, located in the northern region of the island. To cater to the increasing population in the developing public housing estate, SBS gradually introduced new trunk services and extended the routes of existing trunk services from nearby bus termini in Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah, as well as providing several feeder services that connected the town’s neighbourhoods with the town centre.

While there was no specific bus plan implemented by SBS, Woodlands Bus Interchange served as the main transport hub for bus services in the housing estate, opening its doors on 29th November 1981 at the junction of Woodlands Road and Woodlands Centre Road. It was subsequently relocated to the new Woodlands Regional Centre in 1996, and converted to an air-conditioned bus interchange by 2021.

Pre-Interchange Opening (1976 – 1981):

Before the development of Woodlands New Town, the area where the housing estate occupies today was largely rural, occupied by swamplands, plantations and kampong villages. It was not until 1976, when former Bus Service 180 was extended to the new town from Bukit Panjang Circus as the 1st bus service to officially serve the Marsiling housing estate in the new town.

From there, 6 more trunk services were introduced in Woodlands New Town between 1976 and 1981, while a new bus interchange was constructed in the former Woodlands Town Centre to serve as the primary transport node for the estate:

• Bus Service 180: Extended from Upp Bt Timah Rd (Bt Panjang Circus) on 11 Jan 1976
• Bus Service 182: Extended from Upp Bt Timah Rd (Ewart Circus) on 6 Jun 1976
• Bus Service 208: Amended from Marsiling Ave on 6 Jun 1976
• Bus Service 169: New trunk service to Sembawang Rd via Admiralty Rd West and Canberra Rd from 23 Aug 1976
• Bus Service 178: Extended from Upp Bt Timah Rd (Bt Panjang Circus) on 14 Dec 1980
• Bus Service 181: Extended from Upp Bt Timah Rd (Bt Panjang Circus) on 14 Dec 1980
• Bus Service 204: New day trunk service to Sungei Kadut Industrial Estate from 19 Oct 1981

While Bus Services 180, 182, 204 & 208 operated from the roadside terminus along Admiralty Road, Bus Services 169, 178 & 181 operated from another terminus near the developing Woodlands Town Centre.

On 29th November 1981, the new Woodlands Bus Interchange was opened, offering a pleasant environment for bus passengers to transfer and wait for their buses. Only 5 of the 7 bus services were relocated to the new interchange, while Bus Services 180 and 182 remained operational from the roadside terminus along Admiralty Road.

Summary of Post-Amendment Bus Routes in Woodlands (as of 29 Nov 1981):

• 169: Woodlands – Admiralty Road West – Sembawang Road – Ang Mo Kio
• 178: Woodlands – Upper Bukit Timah Road – Jurong Road – Jurong
• 180: Marsiling – Bukit Timah – Clemenceau Avenue – Anson Road
• 181: Woodlands – Bukit Timah – Bukit Merah – Chinatown – Crawford Street
• 182: Marsiling – Bukit Timah – Orchard Road – New Bridge Road
• 204: Woodlands – Sungei Kadut Industrial Estate (Loop)
• 208: Woodlands – Kranji Way (Loop)

More detailed information for operational bus services can be found in the Historical Routes of Bus Services article.