Yishun to Harbourfront: Train or Bus?

Posted by: Elgin Chong

Preferred ride: Service 855 starts its journey at Yishun Bus Interchange and only takes slightly more than an hour to reach Harboufront, Vivo City. It is also a cheaper alternative as compared to the train. Photo credit: Norazreen binti Abd Haris

A Quick Glance At this Post

	Time	Fare	Advantage	Disadvantage
Service 855	1 hour 10 mins	S$1.76	Hassle free and cheaper	Slightly time consuming
Train (North South Line)	50 mins	S$2.30	Faster journey	Need to transfer to different train line at Dhoby Ghaut and crowded train station

So last Saturday, four of us (Elgin, Emmanuel, Azreen aand Meisi) planned to visit Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). Two of us (Meisi and I) started our journey in Yishun. Our original plan was to take the train to Harbourfront before making our way to Sentosa. Just as we were about to scan tap our ez-links at the gantry, we thought: ‘Why not compare the time difference between the bus and train to Vivo City?’

Bus Ride as A Better Option

Being the busybodies we are, one of us took SMRT’s service 855 while the other took the train to Harbourfont station, also known as Vivo City. We agreed that the bus trip was more worth it than the train. The best thing was the bus wasn’t crowded at all – although maybe because we were early (we left at 9.16am). So, that meant more seats were available on the bus! You can also enjoy viewing some greenery along the way; near Queensway and Lower Seletar Reservoir. 

Faster Journey on Train, But More Hassles

Although the train was faster, we found that a lot of people board it at Bishan. The train itself got crowded by the time it reached Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, possibly because it is an interchange serving three MRT lines (North-East, North-South, Circle Line). Furthermore, there was the hassle of having to change to the North-East line in order to reach Harbourfront. The trip may also get boring since almost 30 minutes was spent in the tunnels.

Train Transfer: You will need to change trains at Dhoby Ghaut Interchange if you are travelling from the North South Line. This may require some effort since you need to walk from the North South Line to the North East Line platform. Photo credit: Ng Meisi

Train or Bus?

If you really need to get there quickly, you can take the train but we highly recommend the bus ride. The trip takes only slightly longer and is not as boring as the train ride. You also don’t have to go through the trouble of having to switch MRT lines and jostle through the crowd at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Plus, the bus ride is also cheaper than the train. 

So that’s our thoughts; what's yours? Leave them in the comment box below!