Rehab of MRT-3 ”three months” ahead of schedule: DOTr

February 25, 2020

The Department of Transportation said it is on track to restore Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) to its original state by July 2021.

DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the 26-month rehabilitation of MRT3 by Sumitomo -Mitsubishi Heavy is '' three months advanced''. 

Batan said the agency plans to increase the number of trains running from 15 to 20, increase the speed from 30 kilometer per hour kph to 60 kph and lower the headway to 3.5 minutes from 7.5 minutes “by July 2021 if not earlier.” 

By July 2021, the MRT capacity will increase to 600,000 passengers per day from the current 300,000 passengers per day. 

Rail replacement works for the whole stretch of the MRT 3 mainline started in November 2019, and will be completed by February 2021, since rail replacement can only be done during evening non-operating hours.

On Nov. 8, 2018, the Philippines and the Japan International Cooperation Agency signed the P18-billion loan agreement for the rehabilitation of MRT 3.

Under the MRT 3 Rehabilitation Project, Sumitomo-MHI will undertake the overhaul of all 72 Light Rail Vehicles of the MRT 3, replace all mainline tracks, rehabilitate power and overhead catenary systems, upgrade the signaling system, communications and CCTV systems, and repair all of MRT 3’s escalators and elevators, among other system repairs and improvements.

The project will last for 43 months, with rehabilitation works slated for completion within the first 26 months.

In November 2017, the DOTr ended its contract with MRT 3’s maintenance service provider, BURI, which was engaged by the previous administration in January 2016. DMS