• 1972: First Concept Plan recommends a rail system to support land use and population growth.

• 1975: Government begins feasibility studies.

• 1979: French company SOFRETU concludes that a Mass Rapid Transit system is feasible.

North-South Line (NSL) and East-West Line (EWL)

• 1982: MRT system officially approved (cost: ~S$5 billion).

• 1983: Construction begins.

• 7 Nov 1987: First 5 stations of the MRT open: Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh.

• 12 Dec 1987: Extended to Raffles Place.

• 1988:

  • EWL opens City Hall to Outram Park.

  • NSL extends Toa Payoh to Yishun.

• 1989: Expansion to Jurong East and Lakeside (EWL).

NSL & EWL

• 1990: NSL reaches Marina Bay; EWL reaches Pasir Ris and Boon Lay.

• 1996: MRT reaches full Phase I completion. ~67 stations built.

LRT System

• 1996: LRT systems planned as MRT feeders.

• 1999:

  • 6 Nov: Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) opens — Singapore's first LRT line.

North East Line (NEL)

• 20 June 2003: Opens from HarbourFront to Punggol.

  • Singapore’s first fully automated underground heavy rail line.

  • 16 stations.

  • Operated by SBS Transit, unlike NSL/EWL (SMRT).

LRT Expansions

• 2003: Sengkang LRT (East Loop) opens.

• 2005: Punggol LRT (East Loop) opens.

• 2007: Sengkang West Loop opens partially.

• 2010: Full completion of Sengkang and Punggol LRTs.

Circle Line (CCL)

• 28 May 2009: CCL opens first stage: Bishan to Bartley.

• 17 April 2010: Stage 2 opens: Bartley to Dhoby Ghaut.

• October 2011: Main circle (except final 3 stations) completed.

Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL)

Operated by SMRT, combines former Thomson Line + Eastern Region Line.

Stage 1 (3 stations)

• 31 Jan 2020: Woodlands North, Woodlands, Woodlands South open.

Stage 2 (6 stations)

• 28 Aug 2021: Opens from Springleaf to Caldecott.

  • Key stations: Upper Thomson, Bright Hill.

Stage 3 (11 stations)

• 13 Nov 2022: Opens from Caldecott to Gardens by the Bay.

  • Key stations: Orchard, Great World, Marina Bay.

Stage 4 (Under construction)

• Extends TEL to East Coast (e.g. Tanjong Rhu, Siglap).

• Expected: 2024–2025, though some delays have occurred.

TEL Length by 2024: 20 stations (Woodlands North → Gardens by the Bay).

• Connects HarbourFront to Marina Bay (closing the circle).

• Includes: Keppel, Cantonment, Prince Edward Road.

• Construction began in 2017.

• Not open yet as of end-2024; expected by 2026.

• 1925: The Singapore Traction Company (STC) was established to replace the electric tramway with a trolleybus system.

• 14 August 1926: The first trolleybuses began operations between Joo Chiat Road and Tanjong Pagar.

• 1929: STC introduced motorbuses, with seven Dennis G-type buses plying between Geylang and Finlayson Green.

• 1935: Informal "mosquito buses" operated by private individuals emerged, leading to increased competition and regulation.

• 1942–1945: During the Japanese Occupation, all bus operations were unified under the Japanese administration.

• Post-WWII: STC resumed operations, and by 1950, the bus fleet had expanded significantly.

• 1971: The government reorganized the bus system, amalgamating 11 small bus companies into three larger ones: Amalgamated Bus Company, Associated Bus Services, and United Bus Company.

• 1 December 1971: STC ceased its bus operations due to financial difficulties.

• 1 July 1973: The three regional bus companies merged to form Singapore Bus Services (SBS).

• 1974: The government seconded a team to overhaul SBS's management and operations, leading to significant improvements in service standards.

• 1977: SBS introduced its first double-decker buses on route 86 between Tampines Way and Shenton Way.

• 1978: SBS was publicly listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.

• 1982: The government issued a second bus operating license to Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) to foster competition.

• 1984: SBS trialed its first air-conditioned buses on route 168.

• 1989: SBS made its first bulk order for air-conditioned buses, the Scania N113CRB.

• 1993: SBS introduced its first air-conditioned 12m double-decker bus, the Leyland Olympian 3-axle.

• 1996: TIBS acquired Singapore's first articulated bus, a 17.5-meter vehicle with a capacity of 150 passengers.

• 1999: SBS won the tender to operate the North East MRT line and the LRT systems in Sengkang and Punggol.

• 2001: SBS was rebranded as SBS Transit to reflect its multi-modal transport operations.

• 2003: SBS Transit commenced operating the Sengkang LRT and North East MRT lines.

• 2005: SBS Transit began operating the Punggol LRT.

• 2006: SBS Transit introduced its first wheelchair-accessible bus, the Volvo B9TL.

• 2009: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) took on the role of central bus network planner, overseeing the bus contracting model.

• 2016: The government implemented the Bus Contracting Model (BCM), where LTA owns the bus assets and contracts operations to private operators.

• 2017: SBS Transit began operating the Seletar Bus Package under the BCM.

• 2018: SBS Transit retained the Bukit Merah Bus Package for its second term.

• 2019: SBS Transit introduced hybrid buses to its fleet.

• 2020: All public buses in Singapore became fully wheelchair-accessible.

• 2023: LTA launched a tender for 400 electric buses, awarding contracts to BYD and Zhongtong.

• 2024: The first batch of electric buses entered service.

• 2025: SBS Transit operates approximately 5,800 buses, with over 300 scheduled bus services and over 100 short-trip variants.