Siemens C651 Cars

Introduction

The next type of rolling stock are the Siemens C651 trains that are located on the North South Line and East West Line of the MRT system which are both operated by SMRT Corporation. These trains were bought to complement the C151 trains due to the opening of the Woodlands extension on the North South Line. Both lines uses the same signalling and track system. Trains running on these lines are interchangeable, while the North East Line uses a completely different automated system. A total of 19 trainsets were bought and introduced from 1994 onwards.

Individual carriages have a four-digit serial number given by SMRT Corporation. The car numbers of the trains range from x201 to x238, where x depends on the carriage type.

The C651 train's exterior is painted similarly to the C151 trains, with the conventional white background and a red stripe. The trains have flat frontal structures unlike the slanted and streamlined look the C751B trains come with. Run number displays on the front of the train are made up of electronic green flip-dot displays, as opposed to those of the C151 trains, which have manual plastic rollers. The C651 trains also produce a louder, lower-pitched louder noise when accelerating/braking, compared to the C151 trains.

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Interior Design

The C651 trains' interior features are almost exactly the same as the old Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 trains, except for their green tinted windows.

Many experiments have been carried out on the C651 trains, some of which include replacing all the seats in the train except for four seats at the end of each carriage with cushions, so as to provide more standing place for commuters. However, these were removed subsequently due to the unpopularity among commuters. The grabpoles have also been modified such that they branch out into three at the centre, providing better support for commuters and curbing the problem of inconsiderate people leaning on the single grabpole.

Another modification that has been carried out is the introduction of non-slip flooring on the floors of the C651 trains, which provides commuters with a better chance of staying upright when the train jerks. The C651 trains have also had Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) introduced, to help prevent vandalism on trains and keep terrorism at bay, by monitoring all activities being carried out on the train.

The Siemens C651 cars will undergo refurbishment after all the Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 cars have been refurbished. The completion of the refurbishment is slated to be at the end of 2010.

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Technical Specifications

Length of train: 138m (23m per carriage)
Width of carriage: 3.2m
Height of carriage: 3.7m
Weight of carriage: 35,000kg
Number of seats per train: 372
Number of passengers standing per train: 1,428
Maximum passenger load: 1,920 per train or 320 per carriage
Average speed: 45km/h
Maximum service speed: 90km/h
Track gauge: 1,435mm
Track voltage: 750V DC third rail

next: C751B Cars

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