MRT-3 to be restored to original state in 26 months: DOTr

November 9, 2018

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to restore the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) to its high-grade infrastructure condition in 26 months, following the loan agreement signing for the MRT-3 Rehabilitation project.

According to DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, the P18-billion loan agreement between the Philippine and Japanese governments will address the persisting problems of the MRT-3 and improve its systems to deliver a fast, reliable, and safe transportation to commuters.

Batan said the MRT-3 seeks to maintain its current average capacity of 350,000 commuters daily for the first seven to nine months of the rehabilitation. Capacity is expected to gradually increase beginning in the 3rd quarter of 2019.

“After 26 months, we will feel the return of MRT-3 to its original condition,”  Batan added.

The DOTr official said the train operating speed and time between trains are expected to improve.

“Currently, we are running at 30 kilometers per hour (kph), which we will increase to 60 kph. Our current headway o spaces of the train is at 7 to 10 minutes. This will go down to 3.5 minutes. And currently, 15 train sets are running during peak hours. We will increase this to 20,”  Batan detailed.

On Thursdayy, the Philippine and Japanese governments, through the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), formally signed the 38 billion Japanese yen or P18 billion loan agreement for the MRT-3 Rehabilitation  project.

The project will run until 2022, which covers the rehabilitation and maintenance of the system’s electro-mechanical components, power supply, rail tracks, depot equipment, and overhaul of its 72 18-year old Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs). DMS