Bombardier Movia C951/C951A
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
Area served | Singapore |
| Products | MOVIA C951 electric multiple unit trains |
| Parent | Alstom (currently) |
The Bombardier MOVIA C951 represents the inaugural series of electric multiple unit trains deployed on Singapore's Downtown Line, part of the MRT network. The procurement contract was granted to Bombardier Transportation (currently Alstom), with production carried out by Changchun Bombardier Railway Vehicles, a collaborative enterprise between Bombardier Transportation and CNR/CRRC Changchun. The initial order comprised 73 trainsets, followed by an additional 15 units, and a concluding batch of 4 under the C951A model, culminating in a total production of 92 trainsets.
Tender
The tender process for contract turnkey 951 concluded in June 2008, with the outcome announced in November 2008.
| S/N | Tenderer | Bid Amount (S$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alstom Transport S.A. / Alstom Transport (S) Pte Ltd Consortium | 934,489,472.00 |
| 2 | Bombardier (Singapore) Pte Ltd | 547,308,888.00 |
| 3 | Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. / Kawasaki Heavy Industries(Singapore) Pte Ltd & CRRC Qingdao Sifang Consortium / Singapore CRRC Sifang Railway Vehicles Service Pte. Ltd. Consortium | 682,436,399.00 |
| 4 | Hyundai Rotem Company | 1,004,771,958.00 |
| 5 | Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd | Did Not Submit |
Note: The final contract value awarded to Bombardier by the LTA was S$570.7 million after exercising an option for medium frequency auxiliary inverters.
History
Approximately 73 three-car trainsets were acquired for passenger operations at a cost near S$570.7 million. Bombardier secured the contract as the most competitive bidder, surpassing offers from Alstom, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Rotem. The tender closed in June 2008 and the contract was officially granted in November 2008.
In 2013, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) placed a supplementary order for 15 additional trainsets valued around S$119.2 million, which was later expanded to 19 units, increasing the fleet size to 92 trainsets. Some of these trains commenced service on Downtown Line Stage 1 from 22 December 2013 onwards. All units were manufactured at the Changchun Bombardier Railway Vehicles facility in China, with deliveries continuing until mid-2017. The first C951 unit arrived in Singapore in October 2012.
Delivery
Train deliveries extended through to 2017 and are currently stationed at Gali Batu Depot, Kim Chuan Depot, Tai Seng Facility Building, as well as the upcoming East Coast Integrated Depot.
On 12 October 2012, the initial batch of 11 trains designated for Downtown Line Stage 1 was received at Jurong Port and subsequently transported to Kim Chuan Depot for testing overseen by the LTA before being handed over to SBS Transit. By late February 2013, nine out of these eleven trains had been delivered by Bombardier. Comprehensive testing by LTA and SBS Transit ensured compliance with safety standards, operational performance, and system integration prior to commencing commercial service on 22 December 2013. The last trainset was delivered in May 2016.
Design
The C951 series introduced several innovations absent in earlier models, such as:
- Seats designed with ergonomic contours;
- Reserved seating marked in red for better visibility;
- Perch-style seats replacing traditional two-seat arrangements at the ends of each car.
Meanwhile, familiar features remain, including three rows of hand poles and grips, with the central vertical poles branching into three sections.
Dynamic Route Map Display
The Dynamic Route Map Display (DRMD) system, created specifically for the C951 trains, offers passengers live travel updates and door-adjacent information. Comparable DRMD technology is implemented on the C830C and C751C models.
Bombardier revealed intentions to transition the DRMD from LED to LCD screens in preparation for Downtown Line expansions. This upgraded LCD display resembles those found on newer MRT vehicles like the Kawasaki Heavy Industries & CRRC Qingdao Sifang T251, Alstom Movia R151, and modernized Alstom Metropolis C751A trains. The first C951 equipped with the LCD DRMD resumed passenger operations on 2 July 2023.
Platform Gap Width Reduction
The doors of C951 trains incorporate a frangible rubber gap reducer that narrows the space between platform and train from . This modification significantly improves passenger safety by reducing the likelihood of accidents caused by platform gaps.
LCD Displays
Each C951 trainset is outfitted with 18 LCD screens distributed throughout all carriages. These displays broadcast advertisements, film trailers, and informative content related to the Downtown Line, thereby enhancing passenger experience.
Automatic Track Inspection (ATI)
A subset of four C951 trains is fitted with Automatic Track Inspection (ATI) technology, which combines cameras, lasers, and sensors mounted on bogies to identify rail defects such as fractures or missing fasteners. This system boosts maintenance effectiveness and rail infrastructure reliability.
Train formation
C951(A) trainsets are arranged in a fixed DM1–T–DM2 formation: D represents the driver’s cab, M indicates motor cars, and T denotes trailers.
| Car Type | Quantity | Driver Cab | Motor | Collector Shoe | Car Length | Wheelchair Bay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m | ft in | ||||||
| DM | 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 23.65 | 77 ft 7.1 in | ✗ |
| T | 1 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | 22.8 | 74 ft 9.6 in | ✓ |
The numbering system for cars ranges from 9001x to 9092x, where the final digit identifies the type of carriage. For instance, trainset 9003 consists of cars 90031 (DM1), 90032 (T), and 90033 (DM2).