SMRT Trains facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
SMRT Trains Limited

A R151 train operated by SMRT Trains.
Type	Public
Industry	Public Transport Operator
Founded	Singapore (1987 (1987)) (as Mass Rapid Transit Corporation)
Headquarters	2 Tanjong Katong Road, #08-01, Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ 3), Singapore 437161
Area served	Singapore
Key people	Seah Moon Ming (chairman) Lee Fook Sun (deputy chairman, Trains) Ngien Hoon Ping (Group CEO) Lam Sheau Kai (president, Rail)
Services	Railways
Parent	SMRT Corporation

SMRT Trains Limited is a company in Singapore that runs many of the country's train lines. It's part of a bigger company called SMRT Corporation. Before 1995, the train system was run by the government. Then, it became a private company and was first called Singapore MRT Limited. In 2001, its name changed to SMRT Trains Limited. This was to make sure people didn't confuse it with a new train line, the North East Line, which was going to be run by a different company. SMRT Trains manages most of the MRT services in Singapore, except for the North East Line and the Downtown Line.

How SMRT Trains Started

SMRT Trains Limited was created to manage the train operations. These operations used to be run by a government company called the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC).

Early Days: Mass Rapid Transit Corporation

The company first known as Singapore MRT Limited was officially started on August 6, 1987. It signed an agreement with MRTC, which was a government-run company until 1997. On November 7, 1987, MRTC began running Singapore's first MRT section. This first section had five stations, from Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh.

In 1995, MRTC joined to form the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The train operations were then moved to SMRT Corporation. Later, in 1998, a company for light rail (LRT) was formed, called Singapore LRT Limited. On December 31, 2001, both Singapore MRT Limited and Singapore LRT Limited combined to become what we know today as SMRT Trains.

New Way of Funding Trains

On July 15, 2016, SMRT Trains and its smaller company, SMRT Light Rail, finished talking about a new way to pay for the train lines. This new plan is called the New Rail Financing Framework (NRFF). It was first announced by the government in 2008. This framework helps to improve how train services are funded.

From October 1, 2016, SMRT started a 15-year contract under this new plan. This meant that the government took over ownership of all SMRT's train assets.

Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Trains

SMRT Trains currently runs many different types of trains on its main lines. These include the North–South Line and the East–West Line. The trains are known by their contract names, like C151, C151A, C151B, C151C, and R151. Some older trains, like the C651 and C751B fleets, were retired by 2024.

SMRT also operates the C830 and C830C trains on the Circle Line. They are also allowed to operate the T251 trains on the Thomson–East Coast Line.

The main color for most SMRT trains is black with a red stripe and a grey band at the bottom. Some older models had different colors, like white and red stripes. Newer trains have special designs, including pixelated patterns or green and red stripes.

Current MRT Train Fleet

Name	Image	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Trains built	Cars built	Cars per set	Lines served	Built	Number In Service	Introduction into service	Decommissioned
		Design	Service
C151		90	80	66	396	6	North–South Line East–West Line	1986 – 1989 2004 – 2008	14	7 November 1987	22 June 2020 – December 2025
C151A				35	210			2011 – 2013	35	27 May 2011	N/A
C151B				45	270			2014 – 2017	45	16 April 2017
C151C				12	72			2017 – 2018	12	30 September 2018
R151				106	636			2020 - 2025	62	4 June 2023
C830			78	40	120	3	Circle Line	2006 – 2008	40	28 May 2009
C830C				24	72			2014 – 2015	24	26 June 2015
C851E	N/A			23	69			2019 onwards	0	From 2026 onwards
T251		100	90	91	364	4	Thomson–East Coast Line	2015 – 2020	91	31 January 2020

• The trains are known by their contract names, not "series" or "class" like in some other countries.

Former MRT Train Fleet

Name	Image	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Trains built	Cars built	Cars per set	Lines served	Built	Introduction into service	Retirement from service
		Design	Service
C651		90	80	19	114	6	North–South Line East–West Line	1993 – 1994 2016 – 2018 (cancelled)	2 May 1995	30 September 2024
C751B				21	126			1999 – 2001	28 January 2000	30 September 2024

• The trains are known by their contract names, not "series" or "class" like in some other countries.

Light Rail Transit (LRT)

SMRT Light Rail runs one LRT line, the Bukit Panjang LRT line. This line helps people connect from Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang towns to the Downtown Line at Bukit Panjang and the North–South Line at Choa Chu Kang. It will also connect to the upcoming Jurong Region Line.

LRT Train Fleet

Name	Image	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Trains built	Cars per set	Lines served	Built	Numbers In Service	Introduction into service	Decommissioned
		Design	Service
C801		55	48	19	1	Bukit Panjang LRT	1997 – 1999	6	6 November 1999	26 November 2023 – December 2025
C801A				13			2014 – 2015	13	19 November 2014	N/A
C801B				19			2019 onwards	10	1 August 2024

• The trains are known by their contract names, not "series" or "class" like in some other countries.

Important Train Incidents

Over the years, there have been a few notable incidents involving SMRT trains.

• Clementi Train Accident: On August 5, 1993, before trains started running for the day, a maintenance vehicle spilled oil on the tracks. This happened between Clementi and Jurong East. The first ten trains that passed by had trouble braking. Then, at 7:50 AM, an eleventh train stopped at Clementi Station for longer than usual. It had to use its emergency brakes. Soon after, a twelfth train hit it from behind because it couldn't stop in time. 156 passengers were hurt in this collision.

• Pasir Ris Train Accident: On March 22, 2016, two SMRT staff members were hit by a train near Pasir Ris station. They passed away from their injuries. After an investigation, it was found that safety procedures were not followed.

• Joo Koon Train Collision: On November 15, 2017, two C151A trains crashed into each other at Joo Koon. 28 people were injured in this event. This was the second time trains had collided after the Clementi incident in 1993.

• Dover Train Problem: On September 25, 2024, a C151 Train had a problem near Dover. Part of its third carriage came off the tracks. This caused a lot of damage to the tracks and equipment between Dover and Jurong East stations. There were 46 breaks in the track and three track switches were damaged. The power supply also tripped, and the train stopped outside Ulu Pandan Depot. Because of the damage, there were no train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista from September 25 to September 30, 2024. This was one of the longest unplanned train disruptions in Singapore's history. Train services started again on October 1, 2024, but trains had to travel at slower speeds.