90 buses to be deployed as MRT-3 shuts down weekend operations

July 3, 2020

To accommodate MRT-3’s weekend passengers throughout the weekend suspension of operations, ninety buses are to be deployed under the MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program.

The weekend shutdown is scheduled on July 4-5 and will continue on August 8-9, August 21-23 and September 12-13.

The first bus departs at 5:30 am and the last bus departs at 8:00 am from North Avenue and Taft Avenue stations.

The southbound loading stations are North Avenue and Quezon Avenue, while unloading stations are Ayala and Taft Avenue. Meanwhile, the northbound loading stations are Taft Avenue and Ayala, and unloading stations are Ayala, Quezon Avenue and North Avenue.

The suspension of operations allows the MRT-3 to continue with the fast-tracking of rail replacement works  scheduled to be finished by September.

Rail replacement works to be done during the weekend suspension include turnout works for  the southbound and northbound tracks at North Avenue and Taft Avenue stations. Turnouts are used to enable trains to switch from one track to another.

After rail replacement works are completed, train operating speed will gradually increase from 40 kph to 60 kph by December, and headway, or the interval between trains, will gradually decrease to 3.5 minutes.

The MRT-3 bus augmentation program is in coordination with DOTr road sector and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).