Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) C151
A Kawasaki C151 train before refurbishment
A refurbished Kawasaki C151 train
Interior of a Kawasaki C151 before refurbishment
Interior of a refurbished Kawasaki C151
Stock typeElectric multiple unit
In service7 November 1987 (1987-11-07)
ManufacturerKawasaki Heavy Industries (with Nippon Sharyo, Tokyu Car Corporation, and The Kinki Sharyo Company)
Built atKobe, Japan
Constructed1986 – 1989
Entered service7 November 1987 (1987-11-07)
RefurbishedHyundai Rotem (with Mitsui)
2004 – 2008
RetiredSeptember 2025 (2025-09)
ScrappedJune 2020 Onwards
Number built396 vehicles (66 sets) + 2 extra driving trailers for the money train
Number in service96 vehicles (16 sets)
Number retired216 vehicles (36 sets) + 2 extra driving trailers for the money train
Number preserved6 vehicles
Number scrapped210 vehicles
SuccessorAlstom Movia R151
Formation6 cars per trainset
DT–M1–M2+M2–M1–DT
Fleet numbers
  • 001/002 – 131/132 (regular six-car trainsets)
  • 301 & 302 (cash trainset)
Capacity1920 passengers
  • 372 seats (as built)
  • 296 seats (first refurbishment)
  • 212 seats (middle seats removed)
  • 208 seats (CBTC Box installation)
OperatorsSMRT Trains (SMRT Corporation)
Depots
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium-alloy double-skinned construction
Train length138.5 m (454 ft 4+34 in)
Car length
  • 23.65 m (77 ft 7 in) (DT)
  • 22.8 m (74 ft 10 in) (M)
Width3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Height3.69 m (12 ft 1+14 in)
Doors1,450 mm (57+116 in), 8 per car
Wheel diameter850–775 mm (33.5–30.5 in) (new–worn)
Wheelbase2,500 mm (98 in)
Maximum speed
  • 90 km/h (56 mph) (design)
  • 80 km/h (50 mph) (service)
Weight
  • 21.7 t (21.4 long tons; 23.9 short tons) (DT)
  • 38.3 t (37.7 long tons; 42.2 short tons) (M1)
  • 38.4 t (37.8 long tons; 42.3 short tons) (M2)
Axle load16 t (16 long tons; 18 short tons)
Traction system
Traction motors
Power outputAs built: 2.32 MW (3,111 hp)
TransmissionWestinghouse-Natal (WN) drive; gear ratio: 6.57 : 1 (92 / 14)
Acceleration1 m/s2 (2.2 mph/s)
Deceleration
  • 1 m/s2 (2.2 mph/s) (service)
  • 1.3 m/s2 (2.9 mph/s) (emergency)
Electric system(s)750 V DC third rail
Current collector(s)Collector shoe
UIC classification2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′
BogiesDuewag SF 2100
Braking system(s)Westinghouse Brake & Signal electro-pneumatic, regenerative and rheostatic
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemScharfenberg
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) C151 is the first generation electric multiple unit (EMU) rolling stock in operation on the North–South and East–West lines of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, manufactured by a consortium led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) under Contract 151. They were first introduced in 1987 and are the oldest trains in operation on the network.

Sixty-six trainsets consisting of six cars each and a single money train set consisting of four cars were contracted in 1984. They were manufactured from 1986 to 1989 in two batches by a Japanese consortium consisting of the namesake Kawasaki, Nippon Sharyo, Tokyu Car Corp and Kinki Sharyo following a round of intense competitive bidding by international rolling stock manufacturers.

The trains underwent a two-year mid-life interior refurbishment programme by Hyundai Rotem. After the 2011 major train disruptions on 15 and 17 December 2011, further plans to upgrade its mechanical components to increase its reliability were made. The first two trainsets (055/056 and 131/132) to receive this upgrade, which included a replacement traction system to PMSM, entered service in July 2015. In total, 6 trains were fitted with the PMSM system by Toshiba—025/026, 055/056, 065/066, 095/096, 109/110 and 131/132.

The R151 trains have been replacing all of the first-generation C151 trains since June 2023, with the latter to be entirely superseded by end-September 2025.