The C651 (Contract 651) is a Singaporean rapid transit electric multiple unit operated by the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit from May 1995 to September 2024 on the North-South and East-West Lines and the Changi Airport Extension.
History[]
The trains were the second generation of trains for use on the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit. The trains were progressively built in Vienna; the first train was delivered to MRT Corporation (today SMRT Corporation) on 20 September 1994. From about 2010, the trains were slated to have mid-life refurbishment conducted on them by Singapore Rail Engineering, but a number of delays pushed refurbishment works back to 2016; after some three trains were refurbished, the refurbishment program was canceled in 2018. Withdrawals began on 6 September 2020, starting with set 203/204; the three refurbished trains were scrapped in 2021. The last two sets, 201/202 and 207/208, were withdrawn from service on 30 September 2024. Four cars from set 229/230 were donated to the Singapore Police Force for training purposes in 2021.
Some parts from a C651, likely from 215/216, were placed on display in the National Museum of Singapore, such as doors, route maps and seats.
Design[]
The sets are made of a double-skinned aluminum alloy, similar to that of the Hitachi A-Train. The trains are white with a red stripe; these remain the only trains on the system with no changes in livery. The three refurbished sets which never entered service featured a livery similar to that of the C151B sets. The trains feature orange, blue and green seats. Run numbers are displayed using a low power consumption dot matrix system on the top right of the cab fronts. The refurbished sets also featured LED headlights.
Pre-refurbishment, the sets's route map was a piece of metal with the route information printed on it. These maps were updated to the STARiS route map system progressively from 2009, which feature LED lights to inform passengers of their routes. 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.
The C651's doors feature a very audible pneumatic air release when the doors open or close, as well as grainier-sounding speakers compared to their other counterparts. Their builder's plates can be found under the cars near the couplers.
Specifications[]
Onboard recording
End cars are 23.65 meters long, 3.2 meters wide and 3.69 meters high. Most sets use Siemens GTO variable frequency drives which produce a loud wailing noise on accelerating; the three sets which underwent their mid-life refurbishment feature Toshiba Permanent Magnetic Synchronous Motors which produce a hissing sound.
Preservation[]
The following C651 cars have been preserved:
| Car number | Manufacturer | Date manufactured | Date retired | Previous sets | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3229 | Siemens | 1994 | August 2021 | 229/230 | Singapore | Used by Singapore Police Force for training purposes, exact location unknown; last sighted undergoing retrofitting at local engineering firm in 2022 |
| 1229 | ||||||
| 3230 | ||||||
| 1230 | ||||||
| 3237 | 1995 | November 2024 | 237/238 | Tuas Depot, Tuas, Singapore | Last set withdrawn from service, awaiting preservation | |
| 3238 |
Gallery[]
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||