SMRT, SBS Transit extend bus and train services on New Year's Eve; routes diverted for countdown parties

SMRT's train and selected bus services will extend their operating hours on New Year's Eve. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Transport operator SMRT will extend its bus and train services on New Year's Eve (Dec 31) to cater to commuters travelling late.

The last train timings for the North-South, East-West and Circle Lines, as well as the Bukit Panjang LRT, will extend into the wee hours of Jan 1.

For instance, commuters can catch the last train departing from City Hall station towards Jurong East on the North-South Line at 2.15am.

On the East-West Line, the last train will also depart City Hall at 2.15am in either direction.

Selected bus services will also extend their operational hours so as to allow for commuters on the last trains to connect to them.

A total of 14 bus services at the Choa Chu Kang, Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun and Bukit Panjang interchanges will be affected.

In a separate press release, SMRT also said 13 of its bus services will have their routes temporarily diverted due to road closures around Marina Bay for the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2017 event.

Bus services 75, 167, 171, 700A, 857, 960, 961, NR1, NR2, NR5, NR6, NR7 and NR8 will skip bus stops from 3pm on New Year's Eve to 1.30am on Jan 1.

SBS Transit said in a press release on Tuesday (Dec 27) that it would be extending operating hours of services on the North-East and Downtown Lines as well as on the Sengkang and Punggol LRT lines by at least 2 hr 15 min on New Year's Eve.

In a separate press release, SBS Transit said 18 of its bus services will have their routes diverted due to road closures for countdown celebrations this weekend.

Bus services 99, 240 and 246 will skip eight bus stops along Boon Lay Drive, Boon Lay Place and Corporation Road from 6pm on Saturday (Dec 31) to 1am on Sunday (Jan 1) due to road closures for the Boon Lay Countdown 2017.

Road closures for the New Year's Eve 2016 countdown celebrations will see 15 bus services diverted: 10, 56, 57, 70M, 100, 111, 130, 131, 133, 162M, 195, 196, 400, 402 and 502.

The services will skip 12 bus stops along Collyer Quay, Connaught Drive, Parliament Place, Marina Boulevard, Raffles Avenue, Temasek Avenue, Esplanade Drive, Fullerton Road and Temasek Boulevard.

This will be carried out in phases from 3pm on New Year's Eve to 1.30am on Jan 1.

New Year's Eve celebrations will also affect the six Nite Owl bus services from midnight to 1.30am on Jan 1 - they will stop at the first stop along Raffles Avenue before Temasek Avenue (Bus stop code 02101) but skip the two bus stops after along Raffles Avenue, before stopping at the bus stop along North Bridge Road in front of St. Andrew's Cathedral.

For more information, the public can contact SMRT's customer hotline on 1800-336-8900 or visit www.smrt.com.sg, or call SBS Transit's customer hotline on 1800-287-2727 or visit www.sbstransit.com.sg.

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