Alstom Metropolis C851E
Class of electric multiple units in Singapore
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The Alstom Metropolis C851E is the third generation electric multiple unit rolling stock introduced on the existing North East and Circle lines of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, manufactured by Alstom under Contract 851E. It consists of six North East Line trains and 23 Circle Line trains. The trains were manufactured and assembled in Alstom's manufacturing facility in Barcelona, Spain and progressively shipped to Singapore from 2021 for the NEL and 2022 for the CCL.[5] The contract, valued at around S$250 million, was awarded by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) during a ceremony held at Sengkang Depot.[6] Alstom was the sole bidder for this contract.[7]
- 28 July 2023 – Present (NEL)
- 13 April 2026 – Present (CCL)
| Alstom Metropolis C851E | |
|---|---|
The interior of the NEL C851E The interior of the CCL C851E | |
| Stock type | Electric multiple unit |
| In service |
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| Manufacturer | Alstom |
| Built at | Barcelona, Spain |
| Family name | Metropolis |
| Constructed |
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| Entered service |
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| Number built |
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| Number in service |
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| Formation | 6 per NEL trainset, 3 per CCL trainset
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| Fleet numbers |
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| Capacity |
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| Operators |
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| Depots | |
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Welded aluminium |
| Train length |
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| Car length |
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| Width | 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) |
| Height | 3.7 m (12 ft 1+5⁄8 in) |
| Doors | 1,450 mm (57+1⁄8 in), 8 per car, 4 per side |
| Maximum speed |
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| Traction system | Alstom OPTONIX IGBT–VVVF[2] |
| Acceleration | 0.95 m/s2 (3.1 ft/s2) |
| Deceleration | 1.3 m/s2 (4.3 ft/s2) (Emergency) |
| Electric systems |
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| Current collection |
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| UIC classification |
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| Braking systems | Regenerative and pneumatic |
| Safety systems | Alstom URBALIS 300 moving block CBTC ATC under ATO GoA 4 (UTO), with subsystems of ATP, Iconis ATS and Smartlock CBI[3][4] |
| Coupling system | Scharfenberg |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Tender
The tender for trains under the contract C851E was closed on 2 October 2017 with Alstom being the sole bidder for this contract.[7] The LTA has shortlisted and the tender results was published.
| S/N | Name of tenderer | Amount (S$) Offer 1[8] | Amount (S$) Offer 2[8] | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alstom Transport S.A. / Alstom Transport (S) Pte Ltd Consortium | 279,782,872.00 | 293,489,289.00 | Offer 1 in mixed currencies; S$410,100,934.00 (Alternative in mixed currencies) |
Contract 851E was awarded to the sole bidder, Alstom, at a cost of S$250 million on 30 April 2018.[7][6]
Overview
North East Line
The 6 trains supplements the existing C751A and C751C trains on the North East Line for the 1.7-kilometre (1.1 mi) long extension from Punggol to Punggol Coast which opened on 10 December 2024. The first train set arrived in Singapore on 4 April 2021.[9] On 6 June 2023, a C851E was spotted testing at Potong Pasir MRT station for the first time.[10] The first of these trains entered passenger service on 28 July 2023, and the last set entered service on 28 August 2023, increasing the NEL fleet from 43 to 49 trains in a span of just one month.[1]
Circle Line
The 23 trains supplement the existing C830 and C830C trains on the Circle Line, coinciding with the 4.3-kilometre (2.7 mi) long extension from HarbourFront to Marina Bay via Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward Road which all three opened on 12 July 2026. The first train set arrived in Singapore on 11 March 2022.[11] The first of these trains entered passenger service on 13 April 2026.[12]
Features
To enable a more robust maintenance regime, all the new trains are equipped with condition monitoring systems to gather data from equipment on the trains. This enables continuous monitoring of the health of the equipment and allows the operator to carry out predictive maintenance for the trains. Contact shoe sensors on the new Circle Line trains enables the operator to react promptly and take necessary measures if any dislodgement is detected.[citation needed]
In addition, two of the new Circle Line trains are each fitted with an Automatic Track Inspection (ATI) System, which enables monitoring of the running rails, track equipment and sleepers while the trains are in operation. The ATI System supplements existing track inspection activities for timely and more effective identification of rail and trackside components which require maintenance.[5]
They are fully automated (ATO GoA 4) and do not require an attendant on board.
On the Circle Line, the trains draw 750 V DC power from a bottom-contact third rail. Each 3-car train (Formation: Mc1–Tc–Mc2) comprises two Motor Cars (Mc1 and Mc2) at each end, and an unpowered Trailer Car (Tc) in the middle.[citation needed] The interior of the Circle Line C851E remains largely consistent with its predecessor, the C830C, save for a few subtle differences such as the colour scheme of the seats, enhanced cabin lighting as well as the LED text displays being identical to the trains on the North East Line.
On the North East Line, the trains draw 1,500 V DC power from an overhead catenary. Each 6-car train (Formation: DT–Mp–Mi–Mi–Mp–DT) comprises two Driving Trailer (DT) cars at each end, and four Motor Cars (Mp and Mi). The second and fifth cars of each train (Mp) are equipped with a pantograph.[citation needed] The interior of the North East Line C851E remains largely consistent with its predecessor, the C751C, apart from a few subtle upgrades such as improved cabin lighting.
Automatic Track Inspection (ATI)
Four of the C851E trains also have their bogies installed with the ATI, which is a system of cameras, lasers, and sensors installed on trains that help to detect defects like rail cracks or missing fasteners.[13][14][15] The trains with ATI fitted are 7095/7096 and 7097/7098 on the NEL, as well as 867 and 868 on the CCL.
Train formation
North East Line
The coupling configuration of a NEL C851E in revenue service is DT–Mp–Mi+Mi–Mp–DT.
| Car Type | Driver Cab | Motor | Pantograph | Car Length | Wheelchair Bay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m | ft in | |||||
| DM | ✓ | ✗ | 23.65 | 77 ft 7.1 in | ✗ | |
| Mp | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | 22.8 | 74 ft 9.6 in | |
| Mi | ✗ | 22.8 | 74 ft 9.6 in | ✓ | ||
The car numbers of the trains range from 7x087 to 7x098, where x depends on the carriage type. Individual cars are assigned a five-digit serial number by the rail operator SBS Transit. A complete six-car trainset consists of an identical twin set of one driving trailer (DT) and two motor cars (Mi & Mp) permanently coupled together. For example, set 7097/7098 consists of carriages 71097, 72097, 73097, 73098, 72098 and 71098.
- The first digit identifies the line, which is always a 7.
- The second digit identifies the car number, where the first car has a 1, the second has a 2 & the third has a 3.
- The third digit is always a 0.
- The fourth and fifth digits identify the set number.
- Alstom built sets 7087/7088 – 7097/7098.
Circle Line
The coupling configuration of a CCL C851E in revenue service is Mc1–T–Mc2.
| Car type | Quantity | Driver cab | Motor | Collector shoe | Car length | Wheelchair bay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m | ft in | ||||||
| Mc | 2 | ✓ | 23.65 | 77 ft 7.1 in | ✗ | ||
| T | 1 | ✗ | ✓ | 22.8 | 74 ft 9.6 in | ✓ | |
The car numbers of the trains range from 8065x to 8087x, where x depends on the carriage type. Individual cars are assigned a five-digit serial number by the rail operator SMRT Trains. A complete three-car trainset consists of one trailer (T) and two driving motor (Mc) cars permanently coupled together. For example, set 865 consists of carriages 80651, 80652 and 80653.
- The first digit identifies the line, which is always an 8.
- The second digit is always a 0.
- The third and fourth digits identify the set number.
- The fifth digit identifies the car number, where the first car has a 1, the second has a 2 and the third has a 3.
- Alstom built sets 865 – 887.