Alstom Innovia APM 300R (C801B)

Alstom Innovia APM300 (C801B)
In service	2024 – Present
Manufacturer	CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems Co., Ltd.
Constructed	2021-
Number built	19 Vehicles (19 trainsets)
Formation	1 motor car per trainset
Fleet number	133 – 151
Operator	SMRT Trains
Depot	Ten Mile Junction
Line served	Bukit Panjang LRT
Technical Data
Doors	4 per car
Electrification	600V AC power rail
Track gauge	Central guideway with rubber tyres

The Alstom Innovia APM 300R (C801B) is a rubber-tyred automated people mover (APM) train serving the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) since 1 August 2024. These third-generation light rail vehicles are capable of operating in single- and double-car formations.

The procurement of these trains is part of a wider overhaul of the Bukit Panjang LRT network. Under a S$344 million contract awarded to Bombardier in 2018, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) would carry out a CBTC resignalling upgrade, refit second-generation C801A trains with CBTC, upgrade existing power rails, and supply 19 new trains which are slated to replace first-generation C801 trains which have been in service since 1999.

The 19 new LRT vehicles are manufactured by CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems Co., Ltd. in Wuhu, China. Alstom completed its acquisition of Bombardier Transportation in January 2021, and consequently, these trains were delivered to the Land Transport Authority by Alstom (as Alstom INNOVIA trains).

Background

Contract 801B (C801B), titled Asset Replacement and Reliability Enhancement Works for Bukit Panjang Light Rapid Transit, was awarded to Bombardier (Singapore) Pte Ltd on 7 March 2018, encompassing overhaul works for the entire Bukit Panjang LRT line. As part of the Contract, 19 single-car trains were procured, to replace the 19 first-generation C801 Trains which entered service in November 1999.

The trains are part of Alstom’s INNOVIA family of APM trains, which Alstom inherited following the Bombardier acquisition. Trains operate on a central guideway and draw power from a power rail embedded within the guideway. For signalling, trains are compatible with Alstom’s Cityflo 650 radio-based Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, enabling fully automated operation.

Features

Features of the new train cards include:

• New LCD monitors with dynamic coloured route displays
• Brighter, energy-efficient LED lighting
• Improved air-conditioning performance and air distribution
• Efficient Alternating Current (AC) propulsion motor requiring less maintenance
• Condition monitoring systems that oversee the health of key systems such as the doors, brakes, and air conditioning, enabling pre-emptive maintenance
• Train Control Management System to support system analytics and predictive maintenance over the life cycle of the system

In addition, sensors will also be installed on two vehicles to provide real-time monitoring of the power rail conditions when travelling along the tracks, allowing for earlier detection and repair of defects.

Delivery Schedule

In a March 2018 LTA press release announcing the Bukit Panjang LRT overhaul contract award [Link], delivery of the first two new trains for testing and commissioning was scheduled for 3Q 2020. All 19 new trains were expected to have entered passenger service by 4Q 2022. A December 2019 process update by LTA added that renewal works were progressing on schedule, with two vehicles expected to enter passenger service starting from the 2Q 2021, with more progressively added to the fleet in 2022.

However, the introduction of these trains was delayed due to supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 situation in China, where the trains were manufactured. The first train was only delivered to Singapore in April 2022, and lifted by crane onto the tracks on the early morning of 24 April 2022.

Return to China & Modification Works

In the early hours of 28 April 2024, train 133 was lifted down from the Bukit Panjang LRT tracks. Train 134 was subsequently lifted down in the early morning of 27 July 2024.

The sighting of new trains being removed from the BPLRT viaducts prompted enquiries by mainstream media. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) later responded to queries by The Straits Times on 30 April 2024, stating that the first two trains (Trains 133 & 134) were being returned to their manufacturing plant in China for modifications after completing rigorous testing.

According to LTA, the first two units were delivered to Singapore in 2022 following factory testing, to undertake rigorous testing on the BPLRT network to anticipate potential issues under local operating conditions. These tests help identify necessary modifications, which are applied to other new trains at the China manufacturing plant before shipment. Modifications include wiring changes and equipment replacement for better performance and ease of maintenance.

The LTA added that these two trains were expected to return to Singapore by 2026 after undergoing modifications, and this would not affect the completion of the renewal of the BPLRT trains.

In addition, two other new trains (Trains 135 & 136) had arrived in Singapore with the aforementioned modifications. LTA mentioned that these trains were currently undergoing testing and commissioning as of April 2024 and are scheduled to begin service in the third quarter of 2024.

Pre-revenue service

A progress update in March 2024, via the Ministry of Transport Committee of Supply Debate 2024, mentioned that C810B trains are slated to enter passenger service from Q3 2024 after testing and commissioning works.

Longer engineering hours on the Bukit Panjang LRT network were provided to facilitate testing of the new vehicles and systems through extended early closures at 10:30pm on Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights from 22 March 2024 to 30 June 2024. On the night of 25 July 2024, the train was spotted in revenue service with passengers along the Bukit Panjang LRT network, presumably on a passenger loading test.

On 16 July 2024, Alstom officially handed over the first two train sets to LTA, according to an Alstom press release [Link]. These were Sets 135 & 136. The trains entered revenue service on 1 August 2024, operating in a two-car formation.

An LTA press release was also issued in August 2024 [Link], stating that by end-2025, all 19 new third-generation C801B vehicles would have arrived in Singapore, in time for the full BPLRT fleet to be renewed by 2026.

LTA Publicity Material

Train Formation

Trains can be formed of either one car, or two cars coupled together. Every car is identified by a three-digit number, from 133 to 151. All vehicles are built by CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems Co., Ltd. at their Wuhu Plant.

Gallery

See Also:

• Bukit Panjang LRT Overhaul

External Links & References

• Bombardier Wins Contract to Upgrade Singapore’s Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit Line – Bombardier
• Award of Contract to Renew the Bukit Panjang LRT System – LTA
• 『浦镇庞巴迪』签约新加坡武吉班让列车项目 – Rail-Transit.com
• Increased maintenance works improving reliability of Bukit Panjang LRT: Khaw Boon Wan – CNA (channelnewsasia.com) (Accessed 1 Jan 2021)
• Thomson – East Coast Line 4 to Welcome Commuters from 23 June 2024 – Land Transport Authority (Accessed 5 Mar 2024)
• LTA to return first 2 new Bukit Panjang LRT trains to China plant for modifications – The Straits Times (Accessed 30 Apr 2024)
• Alstom’s Automated Innovia APM train enters revenue service on Singapore’s Bukit Panjang LRT | Alstom (Accessed 30 Apr 2024)

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