66 1st-generation MRT trains retire from passenger service, receive fond farewell from S’poreans

1st-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries MRT trains retire after 38 years of service

After 38 years of faithful service, the first generation of Singapore’s MRT trains has retired from passenger service.

The last 66 Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) C151 trains officially rode into the sunset last Friday (26 Sept).

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) revealed this in a Facebook post.

KHI MRT trains retire after carrying millions of S’poreans

The KHI C151 trains were the backbone of the North-South and East-West Lines.

These trains have been running since the very beginning in 1987.

They carried millions of Singaporeans through “countless journeys, milestones, and memories”, said LTA.

In a tribute on Facebook, SMRT said the KHI trains “were more than just steel and wheels”, adding:

They were a part of everyday life — bringing children to school, parents to work, and families to important moments. Over time, they became part of Singapore’s collective memory.

Representatives from the Beijing Metro, Taipei Metro and Shanghai Metro even visited our MRT stations to ride these trains, eager to learn from Singapore’s experience.

Train captain Hoong Mau Sui recalled taking the first KHI train out of Bishan Depot, saying he never imagined it would carry Singaporeans for almost 40 years. He added:

These trains became trusted companions, always there to bring people where they needed to go.

Commemorative Ride to bid farewell to KHI trains

In order for the KHI C151 trains to get the fond farewell they deserve, a Commemorative Ride was held on Sunday (28 Sept) for the last train.

SMRT staff, including Chairman Seah Moon Ming, and train enthusiasts alike gathered for a one last ride on one of these old-school trains.

The crowd took the train from Ang Mo Kio station to Yio Chu Kang, looping back to Toa Payoh then back again to Ang Mo Kio, cherishing their final journey on a KHI train in Singapore.

As the train pulled out of Ang Mo Kio for the last time, it received cheers and applause from the crowd. In response, it let out a loud honk.

Mr Seah said the last ride was “more than a retirement ceremony” but a “celebration of history, of progress, and of the journeys – both within SMRT and across the nation – that these trains have carried us through”.

KHI MRT trains to be replaced by R151 after they retire

The decommissioned KHI C151 trains will be replaced with the Alstom Movia R151 trains.

In Oct 2024, then Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said that the plan was to replace all the KHI trains with the R151 trains by the end of 2026.

LTA purchased a total of 106 new R151 trains, with the first batch put into service in June 2023.

Also read: Decommissioned MRT train transformed into boutique hotel pod, complete with original wheels & route maps