Cross Island Line to get 44 new MRT trains
The contract for the six-car trains is valued at S$589 million.

Artist impression of the new trains for the Cross Island Line. (Image: Land Transport Authority)
SINGAPORE: A train contract worth S$589 million (US$439 million) has been awarded for the Cross Island Line (CRL), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement on Wednesday (Jun 14).
A consortium of CRRC Qingdao Sifang and Singapore CRRC Sifang Railway Vehicles Service will supply 44 new six-car trains for the CRL.
The contract includes an option for LTA to buy up to 11 more trains and the option for long-term service support.Â
The trains, which are fully automated, will be designed and manufactured by the consortium in Qingdao, China. The trains are expected to be delivered progressively from 2027. Phase 1 of the CRL - from Aviation Park to Bright Hill - is expected to be completed by 2030.
Each car on the new train will have five doors on each side, similar to the trains for the Thomson-East Coast Line.
To improve commuters’ accessibility within the train, the gangway – the flexible connector between each train car – will be wider at 1.6m, up from 1.4m on other train lines.
The new trains will be “powered by a 1500V D.C. Overheard Conductor Rail (OCR) system, which will increase energy efficiency compared to a typical 750V D.C. third rail system,” LTA said.
The trains will also be equipped with condition monitoring and diagnostic systems to detect potential equipment faults early. Some trains will include an Automated Track Inspection system that monitors the running rail and OCR’s condition in real time.
“CRRC Sifang has an established track record internationally, having supplied trains to Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Chicago and Sao Paulo,” said LTA.
LTA has also previously procured trains from the Qingdao-based railway company for the North-South-East-West Line and Thomson-East Coast Line, through a consortium formed with Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing.
Construction of Phase 1 of the CRL  - Singapore’s eighth MRT line - began on Jan 18 and will comprise 12 stations.Â
Phase 2, slated to open two years later in 2032, will add six more stations - Turf City, King Albert Park, Maju, Clementi, West Coast and Jurong Lake District.
A third phase will take the total length of the CRL to 50km. The line will be Singapore’s longest fully underground line, serving existing and future developments in the eastern, western and north-eastern parts of Singapore.
Almost half the CRL’s stations will be interchange stations with other rail lines once fully operational.