 In November 2008 , SMRT Corporation and Land Transport Authority ( LTA ) announced that the last ten refurbished trainsets would have one @-@ third of their seats replaced with metal rails to create extra standing space . The move was justified on grounds of allowing more standing space onboard during peak @-@ hour services . The reduction of seats per row from nine to seven after refurbishment was already unpopular among commuters ; the decision to further reduce seating capacity drew sharp criticism against the operator and LTA . As of December 2015 , all 66 C151s from one @-@ third of their seats have been replaced by metal bars to create extra standing space . 
