Alstom Metropolis C751A

Alstom Metropolis C751A
Front of an Alstom Metropolis C751A at Sengkang Depot.
Inside an Alstom Metropolis Car on the North East Line. Trains running on this line are driverless and fully automated.
In service	20 June 2003–
Manufacturer	Alstom
Built at	Valenciennes, France
Family name	Metropolis
Constructed	2000–2001
Entered service	2003
Number built	150 vehicles (25 trains)
Number in service	150 vehicles (25 trains)
Formation	6 per trainset DT-Mp-Mi-Mi-Mp-DT
Fleet numbers	7001/7002 ~ 7049/7050
Capacity	1920 passengers 298 seats
Operator(s)	SBS Transit (ComfortDelGro Corporation)
Depot(s)	Sengkang
Line(s) served	North East Line
Specifications
Car body construction	Welded aluminium
Car length	23.65 m (77 ft 7 ^1⁄8 in) (Tc) 22.8 m (74 ft 9 ^5⁄8 in) (Mp/Mi)
Width	3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Height	3.7 m (12 ft 1 ^5⁄8 in)
Floor height	1,100 mm (3 ft 7 ^1⁄4 in)
Platform height	(?)
Doors	1,450 mm (57 in), 8 per car
Maximum speed	100 km/h (62 mph) (design) 90 km/h (56 mph) (service)
Weight	230 t (230 long tons; 250 short tons) (6 passengers/1 m^2 or 11 sq ft
Traction system	IGBT-VVVF (Alstom ONIX 1500)
Traction motors	16 x 150 kW (200 hp) ( Alstom ONIX )
Power output	Total: 2.4 MW (3,200 hp)
Acceleration	1.1 m/s^2 (3.6 ft/s^2)
Deceleration	1.4 m/s^2 (4.6 ft/s^2) (Emergency)
Electric system(s)	1500 V DC overhead catenary
Current collection method	Pantograph
Bogies	16 t (16 long tons; 18 short tons) per axle
Safety system(s)	Alstom URBALIS 300 CBTC ATC with subsystems of ATO GOA 4 (UTO), ATP, Iconis ATS, Smartlock CBI
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Alstom Metropolis C751A trains are the first generation of communication-based train control (CBTC) rolling stock that has been in service in Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit on the North East Line since 2003. 25 trainsets were purchased for the line.

SBS Transit's C751A, debuted in 2003 along with the opening of NEL. This shows the interior.

Overview

Door of the Alstom MT

The six-car trains on the North East Line are powered by overhead catenary, a first in Singapore's MRT history. Rolling stock on all the other operating lines are powered by a third rail because authorities considered overhead wires to be unsightly and did not allow for trains to be powered using this method on elevated lines. Since this line is the first to be fully underground in Singapore, the authorities had a choice between powering the trains on this line by overhead catenary or third rail. This rolling stock is the first to have seats of the same colour in every compartment of the train.

Alstom was contracted in 1997 and 1998 (as Contract C751A) by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore to supply for trains for the North East Line.^[1]

Announcements

The announcements for the North East Line differ from those on MRT lines operated by SMRT, i.e. a different announcer. The "doors closing" announcements and chime are taken from old announcements introduced in 1994 for the North South and East West Lines. Upon arrival at train stations, a "Please Mind the Gap" announcement would be made in four languages. "Please do not Lean Against the Doors" and several safety announcements are occasionally broadcast to commuters.

Driverless operation

The C751A is the first fully driverless heavy metro rolling stock in Singapore. Nonetheless, SBS hires employees trained to drive the trains manually if necessary.

Communications-based Train Control (CBTC), which maintains a "continuous two-way digital communication" between each controlled train and a wayside control center, which may control an area of a railroad line, a complete line or a group of lines help track the trains' positions. Recent studies consistently show that CBTC systems reduce life-cycle costs for the overall rail property and enhance operational flexibility and control.^[2]

Experimental Programmes

• 2 Visual Passenger Information System or VPIS installed in each train car. These displays show the name of the next station, current station, door closing messages and occasionally the date and time.
• 6 LCD are installed on the overhead panel in each train car. These screens formally showed rail travel information of the next station and terminating station, silent commercials and safety videos. The units have since been deactivated due to lack of demand.^[3]
• 7037/7038 had been installed four rows for standing area to take away 28 seatings in between two doors in each carriage. This creates space for more commuters to board, especially during peak hours.

Train Formation

The configuration of a C751A in revenue service is DT-Mp-Mi-Mi-Mp-DT

Cars of C751A
car type	Driver Cab	Motor	Pantograph	car length		Wheelchair Space
				mm	ft in
DT	✓	✗	✗	23,650	77 ft 7.1 in
Mi	✗	✓	✗	22,800	74 ft 9.6 in
Mp	✗	✓	✓	22,800	74 ft 9.6 in

The car numbers of the trains range from 7x001 to 7x050, 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 011/012 consists of carriages 71011, 72011, 73011, 73012, 72012 and 71012.

• The first digit 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 digit and fifth digit are the train identification numbers. A full length train of 6 cars have 2 different identification numbers, one for the first 3 cars, and the same number plus 1, for the other three.
  • Alstom built sets 001-050.

See also

• Alstom Metropolis

References

1. "Singapore Northeast Line – The first fully automatic heavy metro system" (PDF). Alstom. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
2. "Urbalis control system".
3. "VISUAL PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR SINGAPORE MRT AND LRT LINES" (PDF).