In late October this year, rail operator SMRT announced on social media that it took delivery of its first upgraded 5th-gen C151B train for the North-South, East-West lines (NSEWL) with new proof-of-concept reliability-centred features.
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Contract signed during SITCE 2024 for C151B train technology refresh proof-of-concept
KSF B Train Technology Refresh Proof of Concept. (Image: SMRT/Facebook)
First announced in November last year – during the Singapore International Transport Congress & Exhibition (SITCE) 2024 – SMRT and Chinese train supplier CRRC Qingdao Sifang signed a contract for the proof-of-concept technology refresh of a C151B train.
Trainset 649/650 was delivered back to CRRC Qingdao Sifang’s factory in Qingdao, China, where retrofitting and upgrading works took place earlier this year. The train was last seen in passenger service in November 2024.
The upgraded C151B train returned to Singapore about 10 months later and was subsequently delivered to the Bishan train depot, where testing & commissioning works would likely take place before it re-enters passenger service on the NSEWL.
Reliability-centred upgrades on the C151B train
The 5th-gen C151B train on the North-South, East-West lines (NSEWL), in its original livery. (Image: SGTrains File)
SMRT had said some reliability-centred upgrades for the C151B train include a condition-monitoring system that supports predictive maintenance activities, paired with structural health monitoring technologies to “keep close tabs on the train’s structural integrity.”
“By identifying micro changes in the stresses and strains that a train undergoes, structural health monitoring can help engineers sharpen maintenance focus and zoom into train parts that require greater attention,” SMRT had said in its press release.
The onboard Train Integrated Management System (TIMS), which gives the train captain an overview of the train’s status, will be “levelled up” to provide “more detailed and accurate information” on the health status of critical train systems.
“Together, they contribute to SMRT’s ongoing and proactive efforts in finding solutions to detect and rectify potential issues related to the trains early, minimising service disruptions.”
The upgraded C151B train will also feature an improved air conditioning system with enhanced cooling capacity and eco-friendly technologies for enhanced commuter comfort and environmental sustainability.
SMRT and CRRC Qingdao Sifang will also explore future-proofing the propulsion and auxiliary power supply systems by “replacing obsolete parts and increasing power capacity.”
Sneak peek of the upgraded C151B train, with new exterior livery
The upgraded C151B train returned to Singapore in October 2025 without its original exterior livery. (Image: SMRT/Facebook)
The upgraded C151B train returned to Singapore in October this year without sporting its original exterior livery.
Pictures posted by SMRT showed the train with its livery removed, in full white, without the branding of either the rail operator or the Land Transport Authority (LTA) pasted on.
This led to initial speculation among local trainspotters that the C151B train could possibly receive a change in exterior livery, in addition to the slew of reliability-centred upgrades.
The upgraded C151B train at Bishan train depot, sporting a new exterior livery. (Image: SMRT/Facebook)
Subsequently, SMRT’s Facebook post on Nov 21 announced the unveiling of its Kaizen Centre and the transformation of Depot 4.0 at Bishan Depot, jointly developed by CRRC Qingdao Sifang.
Group pictures showed a train in the background sporting a bright red-colour exterior livery, with elements of Singapore’s skyline.
The new exterior livery of the train also features elements of Singapore’s skyline. (Image: SMRT/Facebook)
In a Facebook post on Nov 24, SMRT confirms that the MRT train at Bishan train depot – that has been newly liveried on its exterior – is the upgraded C151B train, with a “suite of next-generation features”.
The rail operator said: “More details [on the upgraded C151B train] will be revealed soon – stay tuned!”
The 5th-gen C151B trains entered passenger service on the NSEWL in 2017, purchased in conjunction with the potential increase in ridership due to the opening of the Tuas West Extension.
Forty-five new C151B trains were purchased under Contract 151B, awarded by LTA to the consortium of Japanese train supplier Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Qingdao Sifang (now CRRC Qingdao Sifang), in August 2012.
The consortium also supplied 12 new 6th-gen C151C trains for the NSEWL, which entered passenger service in 2018, and 91 new T251 trains for the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).
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Related Links
Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CSR Qingdao Sifang C151B – SGTrains
North-South Line – SGTrains
East-West Line – SGTrains
External Links
“✨ It’s arrived. Proof-of-Concept (POC) just got rail.” – SMRT/Facebook
“🚀 Double the joy, double the progress.” – SMRT/Facebook
“Innovation in Motion~ 🚆” – SMRT/Facebook
Image: SMRT/Facebook, SMRT/Facebook, SMRT/Facebook, SGTrains File.
This article first appeared on SGTrains.