China-made MRT trains in Singapore sent back for defects

By: 8 years ago

The affected China-made trains – the C151A model – are similar to the C151B model (above) made by China Southern RailwayQingdao Sifang.PHOTO: SMRT CORP

SINGAPORE — Several of Singapore’s first China-made MRT trains are being shipped back to their manufacturer for structural defects.

The trains, said to number more than two dozen, are barely five years old. They were made by China Southern Railway (CSR) Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company, which together with Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries, won the first contract to supply 22 six-car trains for the North-South and East-West lines in 2009.

The Straits Times understands the trains are still under warranty, and will be rectified by the manufacturer. Still, the episode could derail Singapore’s plans to raise its rail service and reliability standards.

According to reports by online news portal FactWire, some of the trains had windows shattering repeatedly, and in 2011, one of the trains’ Chinese-made uninterruptible power supply batteries exploded during repair.

FactWire said cracks were also found in structural components of trains, including the sub-floor – a compartment under the passenger floor holding the equipment box and electrical wires – and bolster function parts connecting the car body to the bogie, the latter having the most serious problems.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s MTR Corp, which has also placed orders with CSR Sifang, told The Straits Times it has not taken delivery of any new trains from the Chinese manufacturer yet.