Mass Rapid Transit :: SINGAPORE ::

Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 Cars

Introduction

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 trains are one of the four different types of rolling stock which can be found on Singapore’s MRT system. They have been the first trains to be running since the start of the MRT system and are still in operation today. These trains are owned by SMRT Corporation and are in operation on the North South Line and East West Line. The trains were produced between 1986 and 1989 in three different batches.

Individual carriages have a four-digit serial number given by SMRT Corporation. The car numbers of the trains range from x001 to x132, where x depends on whether the carriage is the first, second or third carriage away from either end of the train. If it is the first, x is 3, if it is the second, x is 1, and if it is the third, x is 2. The three other digits are the identification numbers of the train. A normal length train of six carriages has two different identification numbers, one for the first three carriages, and the same number plus one for the other three. For example, a train would have 6 carriages with the identification numbers, 3021, 1021, 2021, 2022, 1022, 3022 respectively.

The C151 train's exterior is painted with the conventional white background with a red stripe, instead of the black and grey colour scheme with a red stripe in between that the newer C751B trains are painted with. 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 manual plastic rollers, different from those of the C751B trains, which have orange LED displays.

Interior Design

Being the oldest trains in use on the MRT system as of year 2007, the C151 trains have one of the simplest interior design schemes of the four different kinds of trains in use.

The train's interior is largely plastic, with plastic seats and walls, with each carriage having a different colour scheme (first and last carriages have an orange colour scheme, second and fifth carriages have a blue colour scheme, third and fourth carriages have a green colour scheme).

The C151 cars also have basic metal poles and handgrips with straps to provide a source for commuters to stabilize themselves on board the train when they are standing. Glass partitions separating the rows of seats also allow commuters to lean on them for support.

The interior of the C151 cars allow advertisers to place their advertisements on the glass partitions, windows and specially designed advertisement panels on the walls of the car. These advertisement panels allow advertisers to design their advertisements on metal plates which are then inserted into grooves on the wall, with two advertisement panels reserved for the map of the MRT lines in Singapore. In recent years, advertisements have also come in the form of cards hung on the horizontal bars located in the trains.

The C151 cars have a built-in audio announcement system, which broadcasts announcements ranging from safety messages, the station the train is at, the next stop for the train, and even audio advertisements for companies such as M1.

Safety comes first for the commuters in the train, and the C151 trains have fire extinguishers, an emergency stop plunger, and even an emergency communication system through which passengers can relay messages to the driver of the train, alerting them to any emergency situation that develops. Another measure used to ensure the safety of passengers is the emergency exit door situated at both ends of the train, which can be operated both by the train driver or a commuter, allowing commuters to evacuate the train quickly in the event that an emergency situation develops.

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: 80km/h
Track gauge: 1,435mm
Track voltage: 750V DC third rail

next: Refurbished C151 Cars