Once its new power system is in place and the tracks are improved, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will increase its capacity from 500,000 passengers daily this November to 800,000 passengers next year, announced Officer-In-Charge Deo Leo Manalo.
So far, MRT-3’s Filipino-Korean maintenance provider, Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI), has boosted the total number of trains in operation to 22 in 11 months, exceeding the MRT-3 power system’s maximum capacity of running a total of 20 trains at any given time, reported Manila Bulletin.
Each MRT train consists of three light rail vehicles or LRVs. BURI overhauled nine Czech-made trains consisting of 27 LRVs.
With more trains now in service, more passengers are being served, pushing average ridership to half a million daily last month, a 25 percent increase in passengers since January, said the news portal.
As of end-October, MRT-3 already hit its full-year revenue target of P2.3 billion. The highest recorded ridership within a month also climbed to almost 510,000 on November 18, from about 415,000 on January 22.
“We have to keep it operational, by all means. But, we don’t want to sacrifice safety. MRT-3 has the highest safety standards among light rail systems in the country,” the OIC added.
On the average, BURI reportedly restored 2-3 LRVs every month since its contract started, to field up to the maximum 20 trains at revenue line during peak periods. Peak runs are now also backed up by two reserved cars at the depot.
“It is a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, moment-to-moment maintenance. Maintenance is a 24-hour round-the-clock activity,” Eugene Rapanut, BURI managing director, reportedly said.
“Now, we are running 20 trains during peak hours. We have two trains in reserve. And we have two trains under general overhaul.”
A team of Korean engineers from Busan Transport Corp. is now based in the country to help local engineers and technicians maintain MRT-3 and overhaul 43 of 73 Czech-made LRVs, reported Manila Bulletin.
The 16.9-kilometer light rail started operations 17 years ago. When BURI took over MRT-3’s maintenance early this year, only 13 trains were operating, the report said.
While things improved in terms of more trains and reliability, “We are still not perfect. We have to address several things,” he reportedly pointed out.
By first quarter 2017, BURI expects to have 24 operational trains consisting of 72 LRVs and will also target to improve station facilities such as toilets, lighting and conveyances, reported Manila Bulletin.
