Siemens C651 - Overview

Overview

Operating on the North South Line and the East West Line since the mid-1990s, the C651 trains are the second generation of the four types of train cars used on the SMRT network. They were bought mainly to complement the existing C151 trains due to the opening of the Woodlands extension. Unlike its older counterparts, the C651s are painted with a scratch-resistant acrylic finish due to dirt trapping on the aluminum skin of the C151 trains that were difficult to remove.

These cars come with green-blue tinted glass windows. They look almost identical to the first generation train cars before its refurbishment, except that its traction produces a louder, lower-pitched noise when accelerating/braking. However, the C651s will have their traction systems changed to the one used on the C751B trains, and so the special motor sounds of the C651s may walk into history. The run number display on the front of each train is made up of electronic green flip-dot display, as opposed to the manual plastic rollers of the Kawasaki C151 trains, while the rubber strips between the doors are thicker. The trains have a full white body and a thick red stripe in the middle. 19 trainsets of 6 cars each were purchased, the first rolling out of the SGP plant on 17 July 1994 with much fanfare and delivered to SMRT on 20 September 1994. Similar to the Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 trains, the Siemens C651 trains have no visual passenger information systems, but have a built-in audio announcement system until the STARIS was installed and activated around 2010. After all the C151 trains are refurbished in 2008, the Siemens C651 trains are the only MRT trains with the white body. All the MRT trains along the oldest MRT lines have the black exterior except for the C651 trains.