The EW, NS, and CC Lines

→The East-West Line is the second line to be introduced into the MRT system and
is coloured green on the system map. SMRT is currently operating this line.

With 35 stations from Tuas Link to Pasir Ris, and a branch line to Changi
Airport, the 56.7km East-West Line is currently the longest train line in
Singapore. In operation since 1987, the line connects the eastern and
western ends of Singapore through the city centre, serving as one of the
main transport modes for cross-island travels.
The shuttle service runs to Changi Airport and Expo, allowing a transfer to the rest of the
East-West Line at Tanah Merah.
It is the second line in Singapore to have undergone a re-signalling project, converting the
line from semi-automatic to fully automated operations.

BRIEF HISTORY:
The East-West Line was originally part of the North-South Line, but it was extended
southwards to Outram Park on 12 Dec 1987 to complete the first phase of the system. Trains ran
directly between Yio Chu Kang and Outram Park via Raffles Place. Passenger services were then
extended westwards to Clementi on 13 Mar 1988 as part of phase 1A.
Phase 2A was completed on 4 Nov 1989, connecting Marina Bay to Raffles Place and Tanah
Merah to City Hall, separating the North-South Line and the East-West Line. Phase 2A was extended
from Tanah Merah to Pasir Ris on 16 Dec 1989.
Phase 2B commenced service on 10 March 1990 with a branch line extending off Jurong East
station to Choa Chu Kang, which is now part of the North-South Line with the opening of the
Woodlands extension. The last section of phase 2B between Lakeside and Boon Lay opened on 6 July
1990, completing the initial MRT system.
FUN FACT:
Dover Station
Dover station was the first station to be built along an existing line. Regular services between
Buona Vista and Clementi had to carry on during the station's construction, making the task even
more challenging. The construction work could also only be carried out at night to minimise
disruptions to the students of Singapore Polytechnic.
During the construction phase of the station, trains would have to slow down within the
construction zone. A steel tunnel was also used to prevent debris from falling onto the tracks, which
could potentially disrupt train services.
Dover station opened on 18 October 2001 and is the second station in the MRT system to use
side platforms.

Infrastructure Upgrades:
To enhance commuters' safety and reduce the incidence of track intrusions, all 36 elevated stations on
the North-South and East-West Lines are retrofitted with half-height platform screen doors in four
stages between August 2009 and June 2012.
The half-height platform screen doors are 1.5 metres high and installed along the edge of the
station platform to create a barrier separating the trackside and the platform.

The signalling system of the North-South and East-West Lines was upgraded to the SelTrac
Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system from Thales. Trains will be allowed to run at
an interval of 100 seconds during peak periods, down from 120 seconds with the legacy system.
With the addition of new trains and the upgrading of the signalling system, commuters would
expect to have shorter waiting times during the peak hours and there would be a significant
improvement to the existing capacity.
 →The North-South Line is the first line to be introduced into the MRT system and is
coloured red on the system map. SMRT is currently operating this line.

In operation since 1987, the line has undergone several line extensions
to serve newer areas of Singapore. It is currently 45km long with 27
stations from Jurong East to Marina South Pier. The line mainly serves
the northern region and connects to the western and central part of
Singapore.

BRIEF HISTORY:
The oldest part of the MRT system, from Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh, commenced service
on 7 Nov 1987, marking the opening of the first MRT system in Singapore. The line was then
extended southwards to Outram Park on 12 Dec 1987, completing the first phase of the initial system.
Trains ran directly between Yio Chu Kang and Outram Park via Raffles Place.
In phase 2B, the line was further extended westwards to Lakeside on 5 Nov 1988 and
northwards to Yishun on 20 Dec 1988. Phase 2A, connecting Marina Bay to Raffles Place and Tanah
Merah to City Hall, was completed on 4 Nov 1989, separating the North-South Line and the East-
West Line of the MRT system.
A separate branch line extending off Jurong East station to Choa Chu Kang began service on
10 Mar 1990, operating as part of the East-West Line.

Line Extentions:
Woodlands Extension
In 1990, the government put up a proposal to build a 6-station 16km Woodlands MRT line for
$1.3 billion, connecting Choa Chu Kang to Yishun stations on the North-South Line. The government
went ahead with its plan to construct the Woodlands Extension in February 1991. The extension was
completed on 10 February 1996. The completion of the extension allows trains from the branch line at
Jurong East to travel to Marina Bay via Woodlands, converting the branch line operations as part of
the North-South Line.

Canberra Station
Canberra station, situated between Sembawang and Yishun, is the second station in
Singapore's train network to be built along an existing line. Like Dover station on the East-West Line,
the station utilises side platforms.
A new 72m track crossing with noise barriers was constructed north of Canberra station over
a long weekend between 18 to 20 May 2019. The additional track crossing connects the northbound
and southbound tracks to facilitate train turnarounds.
The contract for the construction of Canberra station was awarded in mid-2015, with works
started on 26 March 2016. The new station opened on 2 November 2019.
Infrastructure Upgrades:
Jurong East Modification Project (JEMP)
The Jurong East Modification Project is a key infrastructural upgrading project that involves
adding a new platform and tracks for the North-South Line at Jurong East MRT station.
The modification project consists of the design, construction and completion of an elevated
platform station extension that is adjacent to the existing Jurong East MRT Station, as well as a
1.65km (total length 2.5km) viaduct, including a special superstructure spanning the North-South line,
the ancillary structures and external works. The three-storey platform extension is approximately
150m long and 20m wide. Addition and alteration works are carried out to link the entire first floor of
the existing MRT station and provide a new open plaza on the eastern side.
With the completion of the new platform on 27 May 2011, trains on the North-South Line
will be able to arrive and depart the station at shorter intervals.

Editor’s note: The reason why I combined North-South and East-West lines together is
because they use the same trains, and are mostly connected, especially along the City Hall
and Raffles Place areas. Most of the stations are elevated, apart from the ones near the
CBD.

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 (KHI) trains are Singapore's first generation of
rolling stock.
It is the oldest rolling stock in SMRT's train fleet and has been in passenger service since 7
November 1987. The trains are housed in Bishan, Ulu Pandan, Changi and Tuas Depots.
There are currently 66 trains of six cars each. All the 396 KHI cars were built from 1986 to
1989 with no comparable differences by the four manufacturers in the consortium led by
Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
These trains also underwent many Mid-Life Refurbishment and upgrading programmes.
“These trains originally had no visual passenger information systems; station
announcements had to be made by the train operator. An automatic audio announcement
system using voice synthesizers was installed on each train by September 1994. The first
iteration of the door closing buzzer announcements, which replaced the initial door chimes,
was fully introduced by April 1997.

SMRT first attempted to install a passenger information system SMRTime on trains using
LCD displays in 1999; these have since been removed. In November 2006 the doors of three
cars (carriage number 1006, 2006 and 3006) were installed with a dynamic, in-train system
displaying station information for testing; these are similar to ones used by Hong Kong's
MTR

Two years later, four units of vacuum fluorescent displays (VFD) were mounted on the
ceiling and eight units of dynamic route maps were mounted above every door in each car of
trainset 053/054 for a two-month trial. This new SMRT Active Route Map Information
System (STARiS) was then progressively introduced to all C151 trainsets, and subsequently
to C651 and C751B trains for a cost of S$12 million—S$20,000 per car. It became standard
equipment on all new rolling stocks subsequently introduced on the East-West Line and

North-South Line. ” Adapted from Wikipedia. The sources are mostly accurate.

See THIS VIDEO for an idea of how commuting between the MRT lines was like in the 1990s.

(https://tinyurl.com/KHIfacts)

The KHI trains has an aluminium-alloy double-skinned plate, carrying a dark exterior livery: a
dark background, with a red band down the middle, and a grey band at the bottom.
Trainset numbers are displayed on a roller-blind display at the top of the right windscreen.
Refurbishment and Upgrading works:

Between 2006 and 2008, these trains underwent a 2.5 year Mid-Life Refurbishment
Programme which was done by Mitsui & Co, RM Transit Technology, Lexbuild and Rotem
Company, at a total cost of S$142.7 million.
From 2010 to 2013, these trains were put through an Upgrading and Improvement
programme. Trains that were upgraded have new floorings, a large wheelchair symbol at
the wheelchair bay as well as have its Builder and Refurbishment Plates fitted up.
Between 2014 and 2015, the KHI trains were upgraded to be equipped with Thales
SelTrac Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system under the Re-
Signalling Project. With the upgrade, two seats from both ends of the train were replaced
with a signalling box, housing the new signalling equipments.
It was announced on 4 July 2013 that new IGBT-VVVF Permanent Magnet
Synchronous Motors (PMSM) from Toshiba will replace the original 4-Quadrant/GTO
Chopper control from Mitsubishi Electric. With the new motors, power consumption was cut
by 30%, operating noise levels were also reduced by up to 12dB and the operating efficiency
of the trains increased. Two trains undergone tests with the new motors between February
and April 2015 in the depot, and on the main line in June and July 2015.

Replacement of KHI trains:

However, plans for the End-of-Life upgrade for the KHI trains were put on hold on 26
October 2016 as the Land Transport Authority will be replacing all 66 KHI trains. Contract
R151 for 66 replacement trains was awarded to Bombardier on 25 July 2018, and the new
trains will be put into service from 2022.
The Land Transport Authority commenced the decommissioning of the KHI trains on
22 June 2020, starting with Train 045/046. LTA is currently in discussion with several public
and private organisations to retain several trains for educational and training purposes,
giving decommissioned trains a new lease of life. These trains may also be converted into
recreational spaces. Under contract R151D, the Land Transport Authority will hand over the
remaining decommissioned trains to Toyotron Pte Ltd for dismantling, scrapping and
disposal services.

FEATURES OF THIS TRAINSET:

(High-Capacity trains as seats removed)

Train info: 001/002 - 131/132 (66), 80 km/h, L:138 m B:3.2 m H: 3.7 m, 208 seats

The Siemens C651 (SIE) trains are the second generation of rolling stock for the North-
South and East-West Lines.
19 trains of six cars each were purchased to complement the opening of the Woodlands
extension in 1996. The trains have been in passenger service since 2 May 1995. They are
well known for their melodious sound produced by the propulsion system during acceleration
and braking.

The SIE trains carry a bright exterior livery: a white background, with a red band down the
middle. It is coated with a scratch-resistant acrylic finish.
The train run numbers are displayed on an electronic green flip-dot display at the top of the
right windscreen.

FEATURES:

(High friction flooring)

Train info: 201/202 -237/238 (19), 80 km/h, L:138 m B:3.2 m H: 3.7 m, 372 seats
The Kawasaki Heavy Industries & Nippon Sharyo C751B (KNS) trains are the third
generation of rolling stock for the North-South and East-West Lines.
21 trains of six cars each were purchased and have been in passenger service since 8 May
2000.

The KNS trains carry a dark exterior livery: a dark background, with a red band down the
middle, and a grey band at the bottom. (Image above is black & white)
The front of the train is slanted vs KHI, giving it a more streamlined look. Run numbers are
displayed on an orange LED display at the top of the right windscreen.
Train info: 311/312 – 351/352 (21), 80 km/h, L:139 m B:3.2 m H: 3.7 m, 272 seats

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CSR Qingdao Sifang C151A (KSF) trains are the
fourth generation of rolling stock for the North-South and East-West Lines.
35 trains of six cars each were purchased under contracts 151A and 151A (VO). The trains
have been in passenger service since 27 May 2011.
Similar looks to the KNS trains but down also streamlined. Headlights differ too.
The Run numbers are displayed on a yellow LED display at the top of the right windscreen.
FEATURES:

(Wheelchair bay)
Train info: 501/502 – 569/570 (35), 80 km/h, L:139 m B: 3.2 m H: 3.7 m, 292 seats.

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CSR Qingdao Sifang C151B trains are the fifth
generation of rolling stock for the North-South and East-West Lines.
45 trains of six cars each were purchased and have been in passenger service since 16
April 2017. Most of these are spotted on the North-South line.

The C151B trains carry SMRT's new pixelated livery: a white background, with a black band
and yellow band sandwiching the red band down the middle.
Run numbers are displayed on a yellow LED display at the top of the right windscreen.

FEATURES:
 (The new STARis 2)
Train info: 601/602 – 689/690, 80 km/h, L:139 m B: 3.2 m H: 3.7 m, 292 seats.

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CRRC Qingdao Sifang C151C trains are the sixth
generation of rolling stock for the North-South and East-west Lines
Only 12 trains of six cars each were purchased and have been in passenger service only on
the North-South line since 30 September 2018.

The C151C trains carry the standard Land Transport Authority livery on its exterior: a white
and black background, with the line colours of both the North-South and East-West Lines
down the middle.
The body shell of the train is the same as the C151B trains.
The Run numbers are displayed on a yellow LED display at the top of the right windscreen.
FEATURES:
(a. 72 Tip-up seats providing more space to commuters.)
(b. The Current Collector Device Shear-Off Detection device)
Train info: 701/702 – 723/724, 80 km/h, L:139 m B: 3.2 m H: 3.7 m, 280 total seats.

The new Alstom Movia R151 is the upcoming seventh generation electric multiple unit
rolling stock to be introduced on the existing North South and East West lines of Singapore's
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.
This upcoming rolling stock will replace all of the C151s, C651s and C751Bs, which have
been in service for at over 20 years. These new trains are part of the North South and East
West lines' core systems upgrade and renewal programme.
106 six-car high-capacity trainsets comprising 636 cars will be delivered shortly, entering
service from 2023 onwards. The design of the trains will be completed in Germany, in
coordination with Alstom's Singapore team. The trains will be manufactured in Alstom's
Changchun facility in China.

(Artist’s impression)
The R151 trains will carry the new Land Transport Authority livery on its exterior: a white and
black colour scheme, with the line colours of both the North-South and East-West Lines
running along the exterior car body.
(Editor’s comment: I don’t know why they are taking so long to transport it here. They
originally planned for mid-2022, but now they have extended it to end-2023…)
 The Alstom Metropolis C830 trains are the first generation of rolling stock for the Circle
Line. It is also the second generation of Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) rolling
stock in Singapore.

There are 40 trains of three cars each and have been in passenger service since 28 May
2009. The trains are housed in Kim Chuan Depot.

The automated CBTC system version, previously known as the "moving block system", do
not require traditional "fixed-block track circuits" for determining the train position. Instead,
they rely on "continuous two-way digital communication" between each controlled train and
the control centre.

The exterior colour of the train is black and has a red stripe throughout the whole train. The
design of the train is also curved, giving it a more streamlined look.

FEATURES:

(a. Tunnel Viewing Space + Emergency Exits)

(b. Door closing indicator – yellow alert lights above each door)
Train info: 801-840 (40), 78 km/h, L: 70.1 m B:3.2 m H: 3.7 m, 146 seats

The Alstom Metropolis C830C trains are the second generation of rolling stock for the
Circle Line.

24 trains of three cars each were purchased and housed in Kim Chuan Depot and have
been in passenger service since 26 June 2015.

The exterior of the train is like the C830 trains, with a black livery and a red strip through the
whole train. The design of the train is also curved, giving it a more streamlined look.

(a. The colour of the seats uses a single shade of yellow, khaki and navy blue in the
three different cars. Reserved seats coloured red)
(b. The bottom of each door has a gap reducer made of rubber that protrudes out,
reducing the platform-train gap.
(c. Dynamic route map display)

Train info: 841-864 (24), 78 km/h, L: 70.1 m B:3.2 m, H:3.7 m, 146 seats.

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