Bukit Merah MRT Guide | Circle Line CC25 Everything You Need

Nine MRT stations across three lines serve the Bukit Merah planning area more MRT coverage than most Singapore planning areas of comparable size. The challenge is not getting to Bukit Merah by MRT. It is knowing which of the nine stations is closest to the specific destination you want, which exit to use, and whether you need a bus connection for the last leg. This guide covers every station in the planning area with the exact exits, walking distances to key destinations and bus connections for places that are not walkable from the platform.

East-West Line (EW)

Circle Line (CC)

North-East Line (NE)

All MRT Stations Overview Summary

The nine stations serving Bukit Merah are distributed across the perimeter and interior of the planning area. None of them sits at the true geographic centre the residential interior of the Bukit Merah and Telok Blangah housing estates is served primarily by bus rather than MRT. This distribution means that the station you use depends entirely on which part of the planning area you are going to, not on there being a single main station for the area.

Station	Line	Best For	Bus Connection Needed?
EW17 Tiong Bahru	East-West	Tiong Bahru Market, cafes, art deco conservation area	Bus for Bukit Merah Central/View estates
EW18 Redhill	East-West	Redhill Food Centre, southern residential estates	Bus for Alexandra, Bukit Merah Bus Interchange
NE1/CC29 HarbourFront	NE + CC interchange	VivoCity, cable car, ferry terminal, Sentosa	Bus for Alexandra, Telok Blangah
CC27 Telok Blangah	Circle	Telok Blangah Rise FC, Sum Kee, Telok Blangah Hill	Bus for Alexandra Road corridor
CC26 Labrador Park	Circle	Labrador Nature Reserve, Berlayer Creek, Gillman Barracks (Grab)	Grab for Gillman Barracks
CC25 Haw Par Villa	Circle	Haw Par Villa, western Southern Ridges access	Bus for Kent Ridge area

The Two Stations You Must Know

If you are visiting Bukit Merah for the first time, the two stations that will serve most of your needs are Tiong Bahru (EW17) for the northern and central parts of the planning area, and HarbourFront (NE1/CC29) for the southern waterfront. Everything else branches off from these two. Learn which exit to use at each Exit A at Tiong Bahru leads to the market; Exit B/C at HarbourFront leads to VivoCity and the rest of the navigation follows logically.

EW17 Tiong Bahru Station

Tiong Bahru is the primary MRT gateway to the northern section of the Bukit Merah planning area and the most useful station for first-time visitors. It sits on the East-West Line between Outram Park (EW16) to the east and Redhill (EW18) to the west. The station’s ground level exits open onto Tiong Bahru Road the main east-west road connecting the conservation area to the residential estates to the west.

Tiong Bahru

EW17

East-West Line · Between Outram Park (EW16) and Redhill (EW18)

The most important station for visitors to the planning area. The station serves Tiong Bahru Market, the art deco conservation area, Tiong Bahru Bakery, Forty Hands, Books Actually, Tiong Bahru Plaza and the park. It is also the bus connection point for reaching the Bukit Merah Central estates and Alexandra Village by bus.

Station Exits

Exit A

Main exit onto Tiong Bahru Road. Use for Tiong Bahru Market (5 min walk south along Tiong Bahru Road, then left on Seng Poh Road). Also for Tiong Bahru Park.

Exit B

Tiong Bahru Plaza. Use for the mall, Golden Village cinema, FairPrice, Tiong Bahru Bakery Safari and Tiong Bahru Road bus stops.

Exit C

Tiong Bahru Estate. Use for the art deco conservation area blocks walk north on Kim Tian Road then right onto Kim Pong Road for the curved prewar blocks.

Walking Distances from Exit A

Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre5 min walk

Tiong Bahru Bakery (Eng Hoon St)10 min walk

Forty Hands (Yong Siak St)12 min walk

Books Actually13 min walk

Tiong Bahru Park8 min walk

Creamier Ice Cream10 min walk

Bus Connections from Tiong Bahru MRT

Bus 121Bus 122Bus 33Bus 63Bus 147Bus 195 (from Queenstown)

Bus 121/122: 1 stop to Bukit Merah Central Food Centre and Bukit Merah View Market. Bus 33/63: towards Alexandra Village Food Centre and Keng Eng Kee. Bus 147: towards Bukit Merah Lane 1 and Keng Eng Kee.

Tiong Bahru MRT Common Navigation Mistake

Most first-time visitors take Exit A and walk straight south on Tiong Bahru Road. The market is on the left continue past the block and turn left on Seng Poh Road. The market entrance is on the right side of Seng Poh Road. Many visitors walk past the block entrance because they do not realise the market is set back from the road and accessed via Seng Poh Road rather than Tiong Bahru Road directly.

EW18 Redhill Station

Redhill MRT sits one stop west of Tiong Bahru on the East-West Line, serving the Redhill and southern Bukit Merah residential areas. It is less useful for tourists than Tiong Bahru but more practically located for residents accessing the Bukit Merah Bus Interchange, Redhill Food Centre and the bus connections to the Alexandra corridor.

Redhill

EW18

East-West Line · Between Tiong Bahru (EW17) and Queenstown (EW19)

The station for the Redhill residential estate and the most direct MRT connection to the Bukit Merah Bus Interchange. Less tourist-facing than Tiong Bahru the area around the station is primarily residential HDB with functional commercial ground-floor units rather than the cafe and conservation area character of Tiong Bahru.

Station Exits

Exit A

Redhill Road. Use for Redhill Food Centre (5 min walk north-east along Redhill Road). Also for the Redhill estate bus stops connecting to the Bukit Merah Bus Interchange.

Exit B

Alexandra Road side. Use for buses along Alexandra Road towards the food corridor (Alexandra Village Food Centre, Keng Eng Kee area) and Queensway.

Walking Distances from Exit A

Redhill Food Centre & Market5 min walk

Bukit Merah Bus Interchange18 min walk or Bus 61/75

Everton Park (cafes)15 min walk north-east

Tiong Bahru Market20 min walk or Bus 121

Bus Connections from Redhill MRT

Bus 61Bus 75Bus 33Bus 63

Bus 61/75: to Bukit Merah Bus Interchange (5 min). Bus 33/63: along Alexandra Road to Alexandra Village Food Centre, Keng Eng Kee and the food corridor.

NE1 / CC29 HarbourFront Station

HarbourFront is the most important interchange station in the Bukit Merah planning area one of Singapore’s busiest MRT stations and the southern terminus of both the North-East Line and the Circle Line. From here, VivoCity is a 3-minute walk, the Singapore Cable Car to Sentosa and Mount Faber departs from HarbourFront Tower 2 (5 min walk), and the ferry terminal to Batam and Bintan is accessible on foot.

HarbourFront

NE1 / CC29

North-East Line & Circle Line Interchange · Southern Terminus of Both Lines

HarbourFront is the planning area’s most complex station two separate line platforms (NE and CC) connected by an underground concourse, with multiple exits leading to VivoCity, HarbourFront Centre, HarbourFront Tower 1 and 2, and the bus terminal. Understanding which exit to use from which platform saves significant time and confusion.

Station Exits

Exit A

HarbourFront Centre. Use for the bus terminal, Don Don Donki and HarbourFront Centre ground level.

Exit B

VivoCity main entrance (Level 1). This is the exit most visitors want it leads directly into the basement level of VivoCity. The most used exit in the station.

Exit C

VivoCity alternate entrance. Also connects to HarbourFront Centre via an overhead bridge. Useful for accessing the VivoCity Level 1 food court level directly.

Exit E

HarbourFront Ferry Terminal. Use for ferry to Batam (Batam Centre and Nongsapura) and Bintan (Tanah Merah, but check some Bintan ferries depart from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal). Follow signs once through the exit.

Walking Distances

VivoCity main entrance3 min (Exit B/C)

Cable car (HarbourFront Tower 2)5 min (Exit B, follow VivoCity Level 3 signs)

Sentosa Express (VivoCity Level 3)8 min (through VivoCity)

HarbourFront Ferry Terminal5 min (Exit E)

Don Don Donki3 min (Exit A to HarbourFront Centre)

Bus Connections from HarbourFront

Bus 175Bus 14Bus 30Bus 65Bus 100

Bus 175: north to Alexandra Road, Gillman Barracks area and Queenstown. Bus 14: north-east to city centre. Bus 30/65/100: various directions use Citymapper or Google Maps for specific journeys.

CC27 Telok Blangah Station

Telok Blangah MRT sits on the Circle Line between Labrador Park (CC26) and HarbourFront (CC29 note that CC28 Mount Faber does not exist; the line jumps from CC27 to CC29 through the direct connection). The station serves the Telok Blangah residential area, Telok Blangah Rise Food Centre and is the closest MRT to Sum Kee Food the zi char stall that draws diners from across Singapore.

Telok Blangah

CC27

Circle Line · Between Labrador Park (CC26) and HarbourFront (CC29)

A quiet station with minimal tourist infrastructure at ground level. The surrounding area is residential HDB. The station’s main visitor purpose is as the arrival point for Sum Kee Food and Telok Blangah Rise Food Centre at dinner time, and as the descent point for the Southern Ridges trail if you walk from Henderson Waves down to the food centre for a post-hike meal.

Station Exits

Exit A

Telok Blangah Crescent. Use for the residential estate residential blocks.

Exit B

Telok Blangah Rise. Use for Telok Blangah Rise Food Centre (5 min walk) and Telok Blangah Hill Park entrance. This is the exit for Sum Kee Food.

Walking Distances from Exit B

Telok Blangah Rise Food Centre (Sum Kee)5 min walk

Telok Blangah Hill Park entrance10 min walk

Henderson Waves (via Telok Blangah Hill trail)35 min on foot uphill

CC26 Labrador Park Station

Labrador Park MRT is one of Singapore’s quietest stations almost no tourist infrastructure at ground level, minimal commercial facilities and a 10-minute walk to the park entrance through a pleasant residential and greenery-lined stretch. It is the correct starting point for the Labrador Nature Reserve, Berlayer Creek mangrove walk and the southern entry to the Southern Ridges trail.

Labrador Park

CC26

Circle Line · Between Haw Par Villa (CC25) and Telok Blangah (CC27)

The quietest Circle Line station in the planning area and the correct MRT for Labrador Nature Reserve. The single exit leads out to a relatively quiet road Labrador Villa Road runs south from the station exit directly towards the park entrance. The walk is straightforward: turn right out of the exit and follow Labrador Villa Road south.

Station Exit

Single Exit

Opens onto Labrador Villa Road. Turn right and walk south along Labrador Villa Road for 10 minutes to reach the Labrador Park entrance. The road is tree-lined and pleasant one of the more agreeable station-to-destination walks in the southern planning area.

Walking Distances

Labrador Park entrance (Labrador Tower)10 min walk

Berlayer Creek mangrove boardwalk15 min walk

Gillman BarracksGrab 5 min (~$6)

There are no bus routes that connect Labrador Park MRT directly to Gillman Barracks without a change Grab is consistently the most practical option. The Grab pickup point is directly outside the station exit.

CC25 Haw Par Villa Station

Haw Par Villa MRT sits at the western edge of the Bukit Merah planning area on the Circle Line, serving primarily the Haw Par Villa theme park the famous Tiger Balm Gardens built in 1937 by Aw Boon Haw as a free public park showcasing Chinese mythology and cultural values through elaborate dioramas and statues. The park is genuinely unusual and worth a visit for anyone interested in Chinese cultural history or unusual Singapore heritage attractions.

Haw Par Villa

CC25

Circle Line · Between Kent Ridge (CC24) and Labrador Park (CC26)

The station exit opens directly opposite Haw Par Villa’s entrance on Pasir Panjang Road. It is also the access point for the western end of the Southern Ridges trail for those walking from Kent Ridge Park into the Bukit Merah planning area.

Station Exit

Single Exit

Opens onto Pasir Panjang Road opposite Haw Par Villa entrance. Cross the road carefully Pasir Panjang Road is a busy arterial road with fast-moving traffic. Haw Par Villa admission is free (some exhibits may have charges check current status on the Haw Par Villa website).

Walking Distances

Haw Par Villa entrance2 min walk (cross road)

Southern Ridges western trailheadWalk through Haw Par Villa to Kent Ridge Park access

Which MRT Station for Each Destination

Use this section to find the correct station for any major destination in the planning area without reading every station profile above.

Destination	Use This Station	Exit	Final Distance
Tiong Bahru Market	EW17 Tiong Bahru	Exit A	5 min walk
Forty Hands / TB Bakery	EW17 Tiong Bahru	Exit A or C	10–13 min walk
VivoCity	NE1/CC29 HarbourFront	Exit B or C	3 min walk
Cable Car / Mount Faber	NE1/CC29 HarbourFront	Exit B, through VivoCity Level 3	8 min walk
Henderson Waves	EW19 Queenstown (not in BM)	Take Bus 195 from Queenstown	Bus + 8 min walk
Labrador Park / Berlayer Creek	CC26 Labrador Park	Single exit	10 min walk
Gillman Barracks	CC26 Labrador Park	Grab from exit	~5 min Grab
Sum Kee Food / Telok Blangah Rise FC	CC27 Telok Blangah	Exit B	5 min walk
Alexandra Village FC / Keng Eng Kee	EW17 Tiong Bahru	Exit A, then Bus 33 or Grab	Bus 10 min or Grab 7 min
Redhill Food Centre	EW18 Redhill	Exit A	5 min walk
Bukit Merah Central FC	EW17 Tiong Bahru	Exit A, then Bus 121	Bus 1 stop (4 min)
Haw Par Villa	CC25 Haw Par Villa	Single exit	2 min walk
Everton Park cafes	EW16 Outram Park (not in BM)	Exit B, walk south 10 min	10 min walk
HortPark / Forest Walk	EW19 Queenstown (not in BM)	Bus 175 or Grab	Grab ~8 min from Queenstown

MRT Interchange Connections Getting to Bukit Merah

The three MRT lines serving Bukit Merah connect to the wider Singapore MRT network at the following interchange stations. Understanding these connections tells you the fastest route from any part of Singapore.

East-West Line (EW) to Bukit Merah: the EW line is direct from the city centre. Raffles Place (EW14) → Tiong Bahru (EW17) is 2 stops. Outram Park (EW16) → Tiong Bahru (EW17) is 1 stop. From the west (Jurong/Clementi), the EW line runs through Queenstown (EW19) → Redhill (EW18) → Tiong Bahru (EW17). From the east (Paya Lebar, Tampines, Changi Airport), the EW line runs through City Hall → Raffles Place → Tiong Bahru.
Circle Line (CC) to Bukit Merah: from the north and east of Singapore, take the Circle Line to its southern stations. From Bishan: CC Line south through Caldecott, Botanic Gardens, Farrer Road to Labrador Park (CC26) or HarbourFront (CC29) approximately 30–35 minutes. The CC Line is useful from the Botanic Gardens and Holland Village (CC21) areas for reaching the Labrador Park and HarbourFront stations without changing lines.
North-East Line (NE) to HarbourFront: from the north-east of Singapore (Punggol, Sengkang, Hougang, Serangoon), take the NE Line south directly to HarbourFront (NE1) the southern terminus. Direct, no changes. Approximately 30–40 minutes from Serangoon to HarbourFront.

Travel Times Between Stations Planning Multi-Stop Days

Bukit Merah’s nine MRT stations are not all on the same line, which means moving between them sometimes requires going via interchange stations. Here are the key inter-station travel times within and between the planning area’s three lines.

EW17 Tiong Bahru → EW18 Redhill: 1 stop, approximately 3 minutes on the train. Fastest connection in the planning area for moving between the Tiong Bahru and Redhill residential areas.
EW17 Tiong Bahru → NE1/CC29 HarbourFront: no direct connection. Change at Outram Park (EW16) to NE line then south 3 stops, or change at Dhoby Ghaut to CC line south. Approximately 18–22 minutes including interchange time. Alternatively: Bus 14 from Tiong Bahru MRT runs direct to HarbourFront in approximately 20 minutes without a train change.
CC29 HarbourFront → CC27 Telok Blangah: 2 stops on CC line (CC29 → CC27, skipping the non-existent CC28). Approximately 5 minutes.
CC27 Telok Blangah → CC26 Labrador Park: 1 stop, approximately 3 minutes.
CC26 Labrador Park → CC25 Haw Par Villa: 1 stop, approximately 3 minutes.
EW18 Redhill → CC29 HarbourFront: change at Outram Park (EW16) to NE line south 3 stops. Approximately 15 minutes total.

Multi-Stop Day Planning Using Multiple Stations

A well-planned Bukit Merah day can use multiple stations efficiently. Example: arrive at Tiong Bahru MRT (EW17) for market breakfast, walk the conservation area, then Bus 121 to Bukit Merah Central for the popiah stall at lunch, then Grab to Labrador Park area for the nature reserve afternoon, then CC line from Labrador Park (CC26) to Telok Blangah (CC27) for Sum Kee dinner, then CC line to HarbourFront (CC29) for VivoCity evening and cable car. Three MRT stations, one Grab, one bus covering four distinct areas of the planning area in a single day.

Station Facilities What’s Available

Singapore’s MRT stations have consistent baseline facilities. The Bukit Merah stations vary in the commercial facilities available above and around them.

Tiong Bahru (EW17): full commercial development including Tiong Bahru Plaza mall adjacent to Exit B. 7-Eleven, multiple food options in the plaza basement, ATMs. The station itself has a customer service centre and ticketing machines. Air-conditioned underground concourse.
Redhill (EW18): basic station facilities. HDB commercial blocks within 5 minutes walk have provision shops, coffee shops and a 7-Eleven. No mall directly adjacent.
HarbourFront (NE1/CC29): the most comprehensive facilities of any Bukit Merah station connected directly to VivoCity and HarbourFront Centre with every retail and dining option available. Separate taxi stand, bus terminal and kiss-and-ride drop-off area.
Telok Blangah (CC27): minimal commercial facilities at the station. HDB commercial blocks within 5 minutes walk have a coffee shop and provision shop. No 7-Eleven or ATM immediately adjacent use the ATMs at HarbourFront or Tiong Bahru stations.
Labrador Park (CC26): the most minimal facilities of the group. No commercial development at the station exit. Bring cash and water before arriving there is nothing to buy within 10 minutes of the station exit.
Haw Par Villa (CC25): Haw Par Villa itself has a canteen and a small gift shop inside the park. No other commercial facilities at the station exit.

Station Accessibility Lifts, Ramps and Barrier-Free Access

All MRT stations in Singapore are fully barrier-free every station has lift access from street level to platform level, tactile paving for visually impaired passengers, and designated spaces on trains for wheelchair users, elderly passengers and passengers with prams. The Bukit Merah stations are no exception, but the lift locations vary by station and are worth knowing in advance for passengers who need them.

Tiong Bahru (EW17): lifts available at all exits. The lift to the platform is accessible from the concourse level. The Tiong Bahru Market itself has a lift between the ground-floor hawker centre and the upper-floor wet market useful for visitors with mobility limitations or with prams.
HarbourFront (NE1/CC29): fully accessible with lifts at all exits. VivoCity is fully accessible with lifts and ramps throughout the mall. The HarbourFront Ferry Terminal has accessible boarding facilities for the ferry services.
Labrador Park (CC26): the station is accessible by lift. The walk from the station exit to Labrador Park is on paved footpath for the first 8 minutes, then transitions to a park path that is paved but uneven in the nature reserve itself. The Berlayer Creek boardwalk is accessible for most mobility aids.
Telok Blangah (CC27): fully accessible with lifts. The walk from Exit B to Telok Blangah Rise Food Centre is on flat paved footpath accessible for wheelchair users and prams without difficulty.

Night Services and After-Midnight Transport from Each Station

Singapore Science Centre area in the evening

MRT services in Singapore stop at approximately midnight and resume from around 5:30am. After midnight, the options from each Bukit Merah station are bus and Grab/taxi only.

From HarbourFront (NE1/CC29): the VivoCity taxi stand is one of the more reliable late-night taxi pickup points in the planning area cinema and restaurant closing times keep taxis circulating here until midnight and beyond. Night Rider buses NR2 and NR8 pass through the HarbourFront area during weekend overnight operations (roughly midnight–5am, 30-min frequency).
From Tiong Bahru (EW17): Grab is the most practical after-midnight option. Night buses serve the Tiong Bahru area but frequency drops significantly after midnight. NR2 passes through the general corridor.
From Labrador Park and Telok Blangah (CC26/CC27): minimal late-night bus coverage. Grab is the only practical option from these stations after 11pm. The taxi pickup at these stations is unreliable after midnight use Grab exclusively.
Grab surge pricing: expect 1.5–2x standard pricing between midnight and 3am on weekends. A Grab from HarbourFront to Tiong Bahru that costs $10–14 at 11pm may cost $18–25 at 1:30am on Saturday night.

FAQ Bukit Merah MRT Stations

Tiong Bahru MRT (EW17) Exit A. Walk south along Tiong Bahru Road for 3–4 minutes, then turn left onto Seng Poh Road. The market entrance is on the right side of Seng Poh Road approximately 1 minute from the turn. Total walk from Exit A: 5 minutes.

HarbourFront MRT (NE1/CC29) Exit B or C. Both exits lead into VivoCity’s basement level directly. Exit B opens into the main VivoCity basement entrance. Exit C is the alternate entrance on the eastern side. Either works choose based on which line you arrive on. The NE platform exit B is slightly faster for the main VivoCity entrance.

No MRT station is within walking distance of Henderson Waves. The closest is Queenstown MRT (EW19) not technically in Bukit Merah from which you take Bus 195 to Stop 11401 on Henderson Road, then walk 8 minutes up the park connector to the bridge. Total from Queenstown MRT: approximately 20 minutes. Alternatively, Grab from Tiong Bahru MRT takes 8–12 minutes and costs $8–12.

Nine MRT stations across three lines serve the Bukit Merah planning area: Tiong Bahru (EW17) and Redhill (EW18) on the East-West Line; Haw Par Villa (CC25), Labrador Park (CC26), Telok Blangah (CC27) and HarbourFront (CC29) on the Circle Line; and HarbourFront (NE1) on the North-East Line, which shares the HarbourFront station with the Circle Line.

It depends on which direction you are walking. For the full trail from south to north: start at Labrador Park MRT (CC26) and walk through the reserve to HortPark, then the Forest Walk to Henderson Waves, then Mount Faber. For the central section only: Queenstown MRT (EW19, not in Bukit Merah) → Bus 195 to Henderson Waves → walk the Forest Walk to HortPark → Bus 175 back to HarbourFront. For the Mount Faber descent only: HarbourFront MRT → cable car to Mount Faber → walk the trail east.

Brandon’s Verdict

Know your exit before you arrive. Every station in this guide has a specific right and wrong exit for your destination.

The most useful thing I can tell you about navigating the Bukit Merah MRT stations is this: screenshot the exit information for your specific destination before you get on the train. Once you are underground at a station like HarbourFront with four exits, two line platforms, direct mall connections and a bus terminal trying to work out which exit you need while the train doors are closing creates exactly the kind of confused milling-about that makes MRT travel frustrating. Exit B at HarbourFront for VivoCity. Exit A at Tiong Bahru and walk south for the market. Exit B at Telok Blangah for Sum Kee. Single exit at Labrador Park and walk right. Know this in advance and the planning area’s MRT network is genuinely excellent.

Brandon Teo,