Causeway Link bus guide

When it comes to planning short weekend trips in JB, flashes of never-ending throngs of stationary cars honking away at one another at the checkpoints often float to mind. However, not all cross-border trips entail wasting hours stuck in a jam.

Other than driving into JB yourself, there are other convenient modes of transport that bring you across the border. Case in point, the swift KTM train. Today, we’re talking about one of the many Singapore to JB bus services, the Causeway Link bus.

Taking the Causeway Link bus is not as complicated as it might seem, even for someone who’s not been to JB in a hot minute like myself. Here’s all you need to know about taking the Causeway Link bus, from boarding locations and fares, to getting back to Singapore after your short respite over at our neighbours.

What is the Causeway Link bus?

The Causeway Link bus, also commonly referred to as CW bus, is a bus service which ferries passengers from Singapore to Johor Bahru, and vice versa. Other than cross-border trips, their trademark yellow buses also operate around a sizable portion of Malaysia, with routes stretching as far as Mersing and Pontian.

For the sake of this article, we’ll only be covering their Singapore to JB routes, but if you’d like to have a peek at their extensive list of routes, head over to the Causeway Link website.

Where do I board the Causeway Link bus?

When you’re travelling from Singapore to the JB customs, there are a total of 3 routes you can take, namely CW1, CW2, and CW5. CW1 buses depart from the bus stop right outside Kranji MRT, CW2 buses depart from Queen Street Bus Terminal in Bugis, and CW5 buses depart from a bus stop near Newton Food Centre, within a parking lot.

If you’re wondering about bus timings, here’s a handy table which shows you the first and last bus timings for CW1, CW2, and CW5.

CW1 buses will come once every 15-30 minutes, while those boarding at Kranji might want to catch their buses on time, as CW5 buses come once every 45 minutes.

As for CW2, it operates 24 hours daily, which means you can board the bus any time you’d like. However, take note that CW2 buses will depart from Queen Street Bus Terminal every 45 minutes from 11pm to 5am, instead of the usual 15-20 minute intervals.

Queen Street Bus Terminal.

We opted to board the CW2 bus at Queen Street Bus Terminal, located between Bugis and Rochor MRT stations, as it was the most centrally located stop. From Bugis MRT, take exit A and after about a short 8-minute walk, you should be able to spot Queen Street Bus Terminal.

Upon reaching Queen Street Bus Terminal, you might realise that there are 2 queues forming. Queue up at the innermost queue as marked by a bright yellow strip of paint; this one’s for passengers taking the CW bus. The other queue is for those taking the Singapore-Johore Express, a different bus service which operates along a similar route.

If you’re a frequent passenger on cross-border buses, you might want to purchase a ManjaLink card from a nearby machine for $10. It’s essentially an EZ-Link card you can top up with credits and use on CW buses, as well as local bus services in Johor like myBAS Johor Bahru.

You’ll get 50% off your first ride when you pay with a ManjaLink card, along with other benefits you can check out on the ManjaLink website.

Buses for the CW2 route came pretty regularly, and after waiting in the queue for just 5 minutes, we boarded our bus and were well on our way to our next stop: Woodlands Checkpoint. We arrived at Queen Street Bus Terminal at 9.15am on a Tuesday, and as such there wasn’t much of a queue at all.

The queue for the CW bus on a Saturday morning.
Image credit: Raewyn Koh

However, the queues on Friday nights and weekends will most likely be more substantial, but judging on how often the buses arrived, you should be able to hitch a ride relatively quickly. The CW buses were about the size of a standard single-deck SBS or SMRT bus, so they’re able to ferry quite a number of passengers at once.

If you’re in a hurry, the staff would often call out for those who wouldn’t mind standing for the 20-30 minute ride to Woodlands Checkpoint to jump ahead of the queue, to fill up buses which didn’t have any seats left.

How much does it cost to take the Causeway Link bus?

The one-way fare for riding the Causeway Link bus from Singapore to JB varies between routes. Those taking CW1, CW2, and CW5 buses will have to pay a fare according to the table below:

Do note to bring exact change if you’re paying with cash, as there’ll be no change for your fare. 

You can pay for your fare in quite a number of ways. You can choose to pay in cash, where you’ll be directed to drop your notes and coins into a small box upon boarding. You can also pay with your EZ-Link card by tapping your card on a reader, which we did for our trip. Other forms of payment include paying with a Visa debit or credit card, or a ManjaLink card.

If you’ve paid for your fare with cash, an EZ-Link card or a ManjaLink card, remember to collect a physical ticket from the staff in the bus. You’ll need to present it once again in order to board the CW bus which takes you from Woodlands Checkpoint to the JB customs.

If you’ve paid with a Visa card, you won’t be given a ticket. All you have to do when you’re boarding the connecting CW bus at Woodlands checkpoint is tap your card on a reader to show that you’ve already paid for it.

How long is the ride on the Causeway Link bus?

Looks just like the SBS or SMRT bus you’d take on your daily commute.

Once you’ve hopped onto a CW bus, the ride to Woodlands Checkpoint isn’t long at all. Of course, it will depend on where you initially boarded your bus. For us, the CW2 bus route happens to be the longest of the 3, and the ride from Queen Street Bus Terminal to Woodlands Checkpoint took us about 25-30 minutes.

The route bus 170 would take from Queen Street Bus Terminal to Woodlands Checkpoints; it makes stops at over 60 bus stops throughout its 1.5 hour-long journey to the North.
Image adapted from: Google Maps

For comparison, taking the public bus 170, which also departs from Queen Street Bus Terminal, would set us back a whopping 1.5 hours instead, according to Google Maps. The CW bus doesn’t make periodic stops like a public bus would, so if you’re looking for a speedy set of wheels to take you across the border, this is it.

The journey on the CW Bus was pleasant. Much like the newest models of public buses, it was air-conditioned, and even came with USB ports located beside window seats if you wanted to charge your devices during your ride.

Arriving at Woodlands Checkpoint & taking the CW bus to JB customs

Image credit: @eugeneferguson via instagram

The CW buses will bring you right to the doorstep of Woodlands Checkpoint, where you’ll then have to clear immigration before you take the connecting CW bus to the JB Customs. If you’re not keen on braving the crowds here, take a look at our guide to using the immigration e-gates.

A familiar sight at the Woodlands Checkpoint – skip the queue by using the immigration e-gates instead.
Image credit: Must Share News

In case you didn’t know, as of 1st January 2024, Singaporeans are no longer required to fill up the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) before entering JB through the e-gates, even for first time users. We got through immigration in about 5 minutes on a Tuesday morning, but you might have to wait in line even at the e-gates during peak periods.

After you’ve passed through immigration, look out for the CW bus’ yellow signs overhead guiding you to the bus bay on ground level, where you’ll board a connecting CW bus to the JB customs. At this bus bay, you’ll be able to take any CW bus to cross over to JB, regardless of which bus route you took to get here.

Like we mentioned earlier, you’ve already paid for this connecting ride, so simply present your physical ticket or tap the Visa card you’ve used to pay for the initial trip to board the bus. On a side note, if you arrived at Woodlands Checkpoint without riding the CW bus, you can still take one to bring you to the JB customs right here.

Image credit: Khoo Yong Hao

The fare is S$1.80 if you’re paying with a ManjaLink card, S$2 if you’re paying with an EZ-Link or Visa card, and S$2.60 if you’re paying with cash.

Again, we didn’t have to wait long at all as CW buses on this side still came pretty regularly to pick up passengers. The ride to the JB customs was short and sweet, and in about 10 minutes we were officially on Malaysian soil.

Things should be straightforward from here on out. All you’ve got left to do is to clear JB’s immigration and you can make a beeline for crowd magnets like KSL City Mall or City Square Mall. Congratulations, you’ve made it across the border; the best part is, you’ve still got the better part of the day to hit up the lok lok joints or indulge in affordable massages in JB.

Overall, we took a little under an hour to get from Queen Street Bus Terminal to JB Sentral, which is mighty impressive considering we started all the way in the outskirts of the CBD in Bugis.

Even if you’re a car owner, you might want to consider hopping on a CW bus instead of driving in, as it could potentially save you hours if you’re stuck in a jam at the checkpoints. That’s because buses travelling to Woodlands Checkpoint and the Causeway drive on a dedicated bus-only lane that’s separate from those used by cars.

How do I take the CW bus from JB to Singapore?

After you’ve had your fun in JB and it’s time to head home, taking the CW bus from JB to Singapore is equally as easy.

Image adapted from: Khoo Yong Hao

After you’ve cleared the JB immigration, keep an eye out for signs pointing towards Woodlands, as well as a sign directing you to Departure Platform A. They’ll lead you to the same bus bay you alighted the connecting CW bus when you first entered JB. When you’ve arrived, give it a few minutes and a CW bus will be here to pick you up.

You’ll be able to board any CW bus here to bring you to Woodlands Checkpoint. However, if you’d like to take a connecting CW bus from Woodlands Checkpoint to any one of the CW bus drop-off locations like Queen Street Bus Terminal, be sure to let the staff or the bus driver know your end destination.

They’ll charge you accordingly, but this time, you’ll have to pay in Malaysian Ringgit. This means your ride back to Woodlands Checkpoint will set you back either RM2.60 (~S$0.74), RM4.80 (~S$1.32), or RM4.60 (~S$1.38) for CW1, CW2, and CW5 buses respectively. Be sure to collect a physical ticket like before; again, those who’ve paid with a Visa card will not be issued one.

Image credit: Khoo Yong Hao

Once you’ve arrived at Woodlands Checkpoint, you’ll be able to spot 3 queues forming up at the bus bay. Keep a lookout for a big yellow sign overhead showing you which queue to head to, depending on which CW bus route you’ve paid for. When it’s time to board the bus, flash your ticket or tap your Visa card on a reader, and you’re finally on your way home.

Should you be taking the CW bus only till Woodlands Checkpoint, calling for a private hire vehicle like a Grab for a quicker ride home is easy too. We managed to get a driver within minutes, despite competing with the rush hour crowd.

Ride the Causeway Link bus the next time you’re heading to JB

If you’re planning for a short, cross-border trip during one of the many long weekends in 2024, then riding the CW bus is arguably the best way to get to JB. A round trip ranges from just S$3.34 to S$6.12, and the travel time is remarkably short as well, leaving you with so much daylight to soak in the best JB has to offer. 

For some inspiration on what to do in JB, check out this 1-day JB itinerary. Should cafe hopping be right up your alley, then consider swinging by these establishments in our JB cafe guide. For the more active amongst us, Austin Heights Water and Adventure Park is sure to satisfy the adrenaline junkies.

Photography by Lee Pei Yee.
Cover image adapted from: Causeway Link