The C151 (Contract 151) is a Singaporean rapid transit electric multiple unit operated by the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit since November 1987 on the North-South and East-West Lines and the Changi Airport Extension.
History[]
The construction of the Mass Rapid Transit was underway by 1983, with tenders being called for an order of 150 cars to be used on the then-to-be-constructed subway system, with an option for 246 more cars; this was known as Contract 151. Three companies were ultimately shortlisted as potential builders for the rolling stock: Metro-Cammell with Singapore Automotive Engineering, Kawasaki Heavy Industries with Kinki Sharyo, Nippon Sharyo and Tokyu Car Corporation and ASEA with Sembawang Shipyards. Kawasaki was awarded the contract shortly after, and a mockup later displayed with the public allowed to choose the seat configuration of the cars. Metro-Cammell's loss of Contract 151 to Kawasaki was a massive financial blow to the company, who cut their workforce down by half later in the year and was purchased by Alstom some two years later.
The trains were progressively built in Kobe and then shipped to Singapore via Neptune Orient Lines; the first train (believed to be 003/004) was delivered to MRT Corporation (today SMRT Corporation) on 8 July 1986 to Bishan Depot. The first trains entered service on 7 November 1987 with the opening of the first stretch of the Mass Rapid Transit. The trains were continually refitted, and underwent mid-life refurbishment from 2006 to 2008 by a consortium led by Hyundai Rotem. By 2015, the trains were regarded as reaching the end of their service lives and were made to undergo an end-of-life refurbishment program, while their contemporary sets, the C651s, were made to undergo their mid-life refurbishment programs. In 2016 however, the end-of-life refurbishment program was canceled after two sets were refurbished; despite this an additional four sets were refurbished by 2017. This refurbishment program was conducted by Toshiba in conjunction with J-TREC and SMT Rolling Stock. The six sets to be refurbished were 025/026, 055/056, 065/066, 095/096, 109/110 and 131/132.
A four-car money train was produced for the aforementioned purpose; with the change to stored value cards in 2003, the train was decommissioned. Both cab cars are currently used by the Singapore Armed Forces for training purposes; the other two cars in the set were said to have been sent for scrap in 2007. It is not possible to visit these cars as they are located in an area where visiting is prohibited by law. There is some disagreement among railfans regarding whether only two cars were built for the money train or a full set of four cars.
Withdrawals began on 22 June 2020, starting with set 045/046. Withdrawals of the class are expected to be completed by end-2025.
Design[]
The sets are made of a double-skinned aluminum alloy, similar to that of the Hitachi A-Train. Originally white with a red stripe with unpainted cab ends, their mid-life refurbishment caused the sides of their bodies to be painted a matte black instead with white cab ends while still retaining the red stripe. The water gutters on the sides of the train cars were painted with a black stripe on the sides in 2013.
Pre-refurbishment, the sets's route map was a piece of metal with the route information printed on it; seat colors are green, red and blue depending on the car. These maps were updated to the STARiS route map system progressively from 2009, which feature LED lights to inform passengers of their routes. The second and fifth cars had their middle seats removed and replaced with leaning bars for additional standing space. With the opening of Canberra Station on the network, the STARiS map was updated to reflect this change, although the LED will not light up at Canberra Station due to lack of space and the sets's planned replacement. A set of three red LED lights, positioned above each door, flash slowly when the doors are about to close; these were added after refurbishment.
Also changed in the sets's refurbishments were the middle stanchions which were replaced with those of a new "branched" design. New seats were also added; these feature the same colors as the previous seats but reserved seats are marked out in darker shades of the aforementioned colors.
Specifications[]
Onboard recording
Onboard recording (refurbished set)
End cars are 23.65 meters long, 3.2 meters wide and 3.69 meters high. Most sets use Mitsubishi GTO choppers which produce a loud whine on accelerating; the six sets which underwent their end-of-life refurbishment feature Toshiba Permanent Magnetic Synchronous Motors which produce a hissing sound.
Construction of the cars is of a double-skinned aluminum alloy. Kawasaki built the vast majority of sets, building sets 001/002 through 019/020, 051/052 through 061/062, 093/094 through 101/102 and 301/302. Kinki Sharyo built 021/022 through 029/030, 063/064 through 071/072 and 103/104 through 111/112. Nippon Sharyo built sets 031/032 through 039/040, 073/074 through 081/082 and 113/114 through 121/122. Tokyu Car Corporation built sets 041/042 through 049/050, 083/084 through 091/092 and 123/124 through 131/132.
Preservation[]
The following C151 cars have been preserved:
| Car number | Manufacturer | Date manufactured | Date retired | Previous sets | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3003 | Kawasaki Heavy Industries | 1987 | November 2023 | 003/004 | SAFTI City, Choa Chu Kang, Singapore | Used for military training, not open for public viewing; photography or trespassing onto premises not allowed, lethal force may be used |
| 1003 | ||||||
| 2003 | ||||||
| 3301 | 2007 | 301/302 | ||||
| 3302 | ||||||
| 3097 | 1988 | February 2024 | 097/098 | Nee Soon Camp, Yishun, Singapore |
The following C151 cars were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:
| Car number | Manufacturer | Date manufactured | Date retired | Previous sets | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3095 | Kawasaki Heavy Industries | 1988 | March 2022 | 095/096 | Changi Exhibition Center, Changi, Singapore | PMSM set, done up in fictitious transportation company livery, used for filming local TV drama, not open for public viewing; last sighted 2022, suspected scrapped after filming concluded |
| 1095 |
Gallery[]
Incidents[]
Two C151 sets (believed to be 051/052 and 121/122) collided into each other at Clementi Station on 5 August 1993 due to an oil spillage on the track. 132 people were injured.
Car 1048 (set 047/048) was vandalized with graffiti by Swiss IT consultant Oliver Fricker and his friend British national Dane Lloyd in the early hours of 17 May 2010, with Lloyd cutting through the wire fence of Changi Depot and the two spraying graffiti on the car before leaving via a taxi; SMRT staff only reported the breach two days later on 19 May under the false impression that the graffiti was an advertisement. The graffiti was spotted by a railfan and posted to YouTube which may have helped increase attention to this case; Fricker would be identified and arrested on 25 May 2010 and sentenced to a seven month jail term and SMRT given a $50,000 penalty for the breach.
Set 067/068 was involved in a major disruption on the North-South Line on 15 December 2011, stalling in a tunnel due to its backup battery failing; all train cars experienced a blackout and loss of ventilation, with one passenger breaking a window of a train door to avoid suffocation.
Set 073/074 ran over two maintenance trainees on 22 March 2016, killing them; the maintenance staff were on site to investigate potential signal faults. This led to a two-and-a-half hour train disruption, with SMRT and the engineer leading the team at the time receiving heavy penalties for this incident; the engineer would later lose his job and be given a four-week jail term.
Set 065/066 was involved in a major disruption on the East-West Line on 25 September 2024, with car 2065 derailing near Ulu Pandan Depot due to a dislodged axle box. This led to a days-long disruption on the East-West Line, the worst disruption in the history of the system.
Trivia[]
- Some trains had their builder's plates mistakenly switched around during refurbishment.
| Mass Rapid Transit rolling stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | North South Line | C151 • C151A • C151B • C151C • R151 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| East West Line | C151 • C151A • C151B • C151C • R151 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| North East Line | C751A • C751C • C851E | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Circle Line | C830 • C830C | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Downtown Line | C951 • C951A | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomson-East Coast Line | T251 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light Rail | C801 • C801A • C801B • C810 • C810A | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Withdrawn | North South Line | C651 • C751B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| East West Line | C651 • C751B | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Future | Circle Line | C851E | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jurong Region Line | J151 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cross Island Line | CR151 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light Rail | C810D | |||||||||||||||||||||||