The Alstom Metropolis C830 is the first generation of

communication-based train control Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accurat ...

(CBTC)

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a numbe ...

rolling stock in operation on the Circle line of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system since 2009.

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...

was contracted in 2000 (as part of turnkey contract Contract C830) by the

Land Transport Authority The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore. History Incorporation of Land Transport Authority Land Transport Authority (LTA) was established on 1 September 1995, f ...

(LTA) in Singapore to supply the trains for the Circle line.

Overview

Despite being similar to the fully underground

North East line The North East MRT line (NEL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. Operated by SBS Transit, it is the shortest MRT line at . The line runs from HarbourFront station in southern Singapore to Punggol station in the no ...

, the decision was made to power the three-car trains along the Circle line by

third rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway t ...

instead of

overhead catenary An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipmen ...

. 40 trainsets of three cars each were purchased for the Circle line. For the train's tender, Alstom was awarded the contract on 28 December 2000, beating seven pre-qualified contractors. Although these cars were similar to their counterparts running on the North East line, they do not feature LCD Displays in each car due to lack of demand along Circle line. However, the ceiling-mounted LED dot matrix displays which display information were retained in the design. In addition, the front of the train features an extra window cut into the emergency exit door unlike the C751A trains, giving passengers a view of the tunnel.

Driverless operation

The C830 is fully driverless under normal circumstances, using CBTC which does not require traditional "fixed-block track circuits" for determining train position. Instead, they rely on "continuous two-way digital communication" between each controlled train and a wayside control center, which may control an area of a railway line, a complete line, or a group of lines. Recent studies consistently show that CBTC systems reduce life-cycle costs for the overall rail property and enhance operational flexibility and control.

Train formation

The configuration of a C830 in revenue service is Mc1-T-Mc2 The car numbers of the trains range from 801x to 840x, where x depends on the carriage type. Individual cars are assigned a four-digit serial number by the rail operator SMRT Trains. A complete three-car trainset consists of one trailer (Tp) and two driving motor cars (Mc1 and Mc2) permanently coupled together. For example, set 801 consists of carriages 8011, 8012 and 8013. * The first digit is always an 8. * The second and third digits identify the set number. * The fourth digit identifies the car number, where the first car has a 1, the second has a 2 and the third has a 3. *

built sets 801–840.

In popular culture

The train is featured in

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series Westworld, as part of the third season.

References

External links