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Weekend Circle Line shuttle bus service causes delays, commuter expresses fruistration over ‘brilliant’ arrangement

What should have been a quick 26-minute train ride turned into a gruelling 1 hour 20 minutes for one commuter over the weekend, as shuttle buses replacing Circle Line (CCL) services caused major delays and widespread frustration.

The disruption came as part of ongoing testing works for the train service, with commuters forced onto shuttle buses between key stations.

Commuter laments inefficient Circle Line shuttle bus

In a post on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on 6 Sept, one commuter described the weekend arrangement as a “total mess”, slamming the inefficient shuttle system.

According to the post, instead of a straightforward eight-stop journey from Serangoon to Buona Vista, commuters first had to detour to Bishan — a 20-minute ride covering just two stations.

Source: @Mike Bae on Facebook

“Serangoon need to take to Bishan (about 20 minutes for 2 stations), queue another 15 minutes for S36, wait and see how long will get to Buona Vista,” the original poster (OP) wrote, detailing the extra travel and waiting times involved.

After queuing 15 minutes for Shuttle 36, the OP then endured an hour-long ride from Bishan to Buona Vista.

Overall, the entire Serangoon-to-Buona Vista trip (normally 26 minutes) allegedly stretched to 1 hour 20 minutes.

Source: @Mike Bae on Facebook

Frustrated, the OP asked why the shuttle buses couldn’t simply run in one clear direction with one service number.

He ended the post with biting sarcasm: “Brilliant SMRT arrangement.”

Netizens divided over shuttle delays

The post struck a chord with fellow commuters. Some slammed the poor planning, questioning why SMRT hadn’t run trial tests to iron out issues.

Source: Facebook

Others argued that since SMRT had already informed the public of the weekend adjustments, there was no reason to complain.

Source: Facebook

One Facebook user countered that being “informed” doesn’t help those forced to fork out extra cash for Grab or taxi rides just to avoid the delays.

Source: Facebook

The OP ultimately said he had learnt his lesson, vowing to head to Outram Park next weekend instead of relying on the shuttle.

Source: Facebook

Disruptions to last till Dec for Circle Line 6 testing

Circle Line (CCL) train operations will see adjustments every Friday to Sunday between 5 Sept and 28 Dec.

The tests are being carried out to ensure the whole line is fully integrated and compatible before Circle Line 6 (CCL6) opens in the first half of 2026.

Source: @Mike Bae on Facebook

To assist commuters during this period, there will be two shuttle bus services on Saturdays and Sundays from 5am to 9am:

Shuttle 36: Runs every 7–10 minutes between HarbourFront and Bishan stations

Shuttle 37: Runs every 3–5 minutes between Bishan and Promenade stations

The shuttle buses will cost the same as regular train rides. Staff will display notices at stations and nearby bus stops, and they will also assist passengers on-site.

MS News has reached out to SMRT for more information.

Also read: Circle Line to start late & end early on weekends from Sept to Dec for testing

Circle Line to start late & end early on weekends from Sept to Dec for testing

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