Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CSR Qingdao Sifang C151B

Refurbishment

After COVID-19 pandemic, on 6 November 2024, SMRT announced that, in collaboration with CRRC Qingdao Sifang, one C151B train will be retrofitted as a proof-of-concept. Condition monitoring system will be added for preventive maintenance. In addition, the Train Information and Management System (TIMS) and air-conditioning system will be refurbished.

EMU 649/650 was the first of the C151B to be sent back for retrofitting, after all the C151As were completed in 2020. The work was completed around September 2025 with 649/650 returning from China to Singapore in October 2025, notably without the pixel livery. It is currently stabled at Bishan Depot.

The first retrofitted train is expected to return to revenue service by June 2026. Following that, in total, 92 trains from the KSF fleet, consisting of C151As, C151Bs and C151Cs will undergo refurbishment works from 2026 onwards, and is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s.

Tender

In the turnkey Contract C151B, 3 tenderers were shortlisted – Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd/Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Singapore) Pte Ltd Consortium, CRRC Zhuzhou/Siemens, and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles. On 23 August 2013, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) awarded the tender to Kawasaki Heavy Industries at a price of S$281,508,884.00. Subsequently, the tender results were released to the public on 27 August 2013.

Manufacturing process

Kawasaki will be responsible for the overall project management, design, manufacturing of bogies and procurement of major components. CRRC Sifang will be in charge of manufacturing, final fitting and assembly of complete MRT trains and factory testing. Kawasaki (Singapore) will be responsible for the delivery of complete MRT trains to the depot, on-site testing and commissioning. The MRT trains were delivered to Singapore from 2015 onwards.

Equipment

Main propulsion controller

The C151B trains is the fourth commuter type Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) after the C751B and C151A trains which features electric systems fully manufactured by Fuji Electric. These electric systems are made in Japan. Propulsion is controlled by VVVF inverter with two-level IGBT semiconductor controller, rated at 415 kVA. Each inverter unit controls two motors on one bogie (1C2M), and one motor car features two of such units. Motors are three-phase AC induction type, model MLR111, with a maximum output of 150 kW.

STARIS 2.0

Instead of other trains which use the older STARIS system, the C151B is the first train type equipped with STARIS 2.0 which consists of two LCD screens displaying the travel information, such as the upcoming stations the train will arrive at, door closing warnings and attractions nearby the station.

Train formation

The coupling configuration of a C151B in revenue service is DT–M1–M2+M2–M1–DT.

The car numbers of the trains range from x601 to x690, where x depends on the carriage type. Individual cars are assigned a 4 digit serial number. A complete six-car trainset consists of an identical twin set of one driving trailer (DT) and two motor (M) cars permanently coupled together. For example, set 617/618 consists of carriages 3617, 1617, 2617, 2618, 1618 and 3618.

• The first digit identifies the car number, where the first car has a 3, the second has a 1, and the third has a 2.
• The second digit is always a 6, part of the identification numbers
• The third digit and fourth digit are the train identification numbers. A full-length train of six cars has two different identification numbers. For example, 629/630 (normal coupling) or 629/640 (cross coupling).
  • Kawasaki and CSR Qingdao Sifang (now CRRC Qingdao Sifang) built sets 601–690

Exterior

Currently, the C151B is the second rolling stock model with SMRT's new white pixelated livery with red, yellow and black stripes, which is similar to Bukit Panjang LRT's C801A, as compared to the older SMRT trains. The C151B trains are the first trains to have a full white front unlike the older batch of trains with a black front. The first eight trains (Trainsets 601/602 to 615/616) received the new livery with the 1st Generation SMRT logos, the ninth train (Trainset 617/618) received the 2nd Generation SMRT logos while the subsequent 36 trains (Trainsets 619/620 to 689/690) received the 3rd Generation SMRT logos. Both the headlights and taillights at the front and rear of the train were fitted in a slightly different configuration from the preceding Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CSR Qingdao Sifang C151A trains.

The Proof of concept C151B Trainset 649/650 featuring a special with 'Progress Together' livery colours of red & white inspiration from Singapore flag.

References

References

1. "THALES Urban Rail Signalling Singapore – North-South / East-West Lines".
2. (2 February 2012). "Coming: $600m upgrade for MRT system/New train measures a 'catch-up'". [[My Paper]].
3. (12 April 2017). "New signalling system trials extended to full day every Sunday: SMRT, LTA". Channel NewsAsia.
4. (21 January 2016). "SMRT Boosts Service Excellence Efforts with first Customer Experience Innovation Conference". SMRT Corporation.
5. "FUJI Electric Powered Passenger Door System installed in C151B train". SMT Rolling Stock Ltd..
6. "SMRT and CRRC Sifang Collaborate to Explore Key Upgrades on C151B Train for Enhanced Reliability and {{!}} SMRT".
7. SG Rails Productions. (2025-10-17). "(Welcome Back !!/The Proof of concept Train)[SMRT] C151B 649 NSEWL Arriving into Bishan Depot".
8. "SMRT to upgrade 92 trains with improved air-conditioning, more sensors to preempt disruptions in real-time".
9. "Singapore LTA orders metro rolling stock". Railway Gazette.
10. (28 August 2013). "Trains for North-South/East-West Lines and Tuas West Extension". Land Transport Authority.
11. LTA. "Schedule of tenders received".
12. (29 August 2012). "LTA Singapore Orders 132 MRT Cars". Kawasaki.