SBS Transit launching 'express feeder' service 298X with only 15 stops

Public transport operator SBS Transit will be launching a new kind of bus service, an "express feeder", on Dec. 9.

The express feeder service 298X is a sub-route of feeder service 298.

As its name suggests, service 298X will provide faster connections between Tampines North and Tampines town centre by calling at fewer bus stops.

Only 15 bus stops on the route

Service 298 calls at bus stops along its 13.9km route, with total travel time taking about one hour.

Service 298X calls at only 15 bus stops.

It starts at Tampines North Bus Interchange.

Turning into Tampines Avenue 12, it begins its express segment before it arrives at Tampines town centre where commuters can access Tampines MRT station on the East-West Line and Downtown Line, as well as Tampines Bus Interchange.

Then, it's another express segment before the bus service arrives at Tampines Avenue 10 and Tampines Street 86 where The Santorini, The Alps Residences, and Tampines GreenBloom are located.

It then loops to Tampines town centre and ends its service at Tampines North Bus Interchange.

Service 298X operates only during the morning and peak hours on weekdays.

Masagos Zulkifli, MP for Tampines GRC, said the new express feeder service offers a "faster and more convenient travel option for Tampines residents":

"This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to improving public transport and ensuring seamless travel within Tampines. I am confident this new service will be helpful in making daily commutes easier for everyone."

Initiative part of S$900 million enhancement programme

Express feeder services are a new initiative under the Land Transport Authority's S$900 million Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme.

Launched in July 2024, this programme enhances Singapore's bus network in response to changes in travel patterns and an increase in demand for bus services.

The LTA said these changes were a result of faster housing development in recent years.

Other initiatives under the programme include extending a bus service to connect residents in Toa Payoh East to Caldecott MRT station and introducing a new peak hour express bus service connecting Punggol and the city centre.

Top images: SBS Transit, Land Transport Guru