Power lack stalls MRT-3 opening trip for two hours

June 26, 2020

The Metro Rail Transit-3 on Friday started its operations two hours behind schedule after Meralco power failure in Balintawak and Diliman.

MRT-3 management, in a statement, said trips began at 7:30 pm but Mike Capati, MRT-3 director for operations, told dzBB radio they began using buses to ferry passengers as early as 5:30 am.

Capati said the Meralco power interruption began at 11 am but energizing the North Avenue depot took time.

As of 8 am, nine trains were running. These will be boosted by five more trains, an MRT-3 advisory said.

Since train operations resumed, an average of 40,242 persons use the MRT-3 to as it follows social distancing.

Before the lockdown caused by the coronavirus disease on March 17, at least 200,000 persons were riding the MRT-3. DMS