Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the operations of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) have significantly improved, thanks to the massive rehabilitation and maintenance works done on the rail line.
In his Facebook post on Friday, July 9, Tugade said the condition of the railway system is now better compared to when train riders were pestered by daily service interruptions and hours of waiting time prior to boarding the train.
According to him, these incidents made the MRT-3 notorious especially on social media where #MRTIRIK became a trend due to numerous unloading incidents and breakdowns.
"Ngayon, unti-unti na pong naayos ang estado ng ating MRT-3. Wala na pong train derailment at unloading incident (Operations of the MRT-3 have gradually improved. No more train derailment and unloading incidents)," Tugade said.
https://www.facebook.com/sectugade/posts/141061838139203
Under the massive MRT-3 rehabilitation effort done by its maintenance provider Sumitomo-MHI-TESP, rail replacement works have also been completed to provide commuters with a "smoother ride". With the completion of the replacement activities, the operating speed of the trains can now reach up to 60 kilometers per hour.
Faster-moving trains have also translated to reduced waiting time between trains from nine minutes to only 3.5 minutes. The total travel time of 75 minutes from North Avenue to Taft Avenue has also dropped to just 50 minutes.
The rehabilitation project likewise increased the number of working trains. An all-time high of 23 running trains on its mainline was recorded last January, up significantly from the usual 10 to 15 running trains before the maintenance started in May 2019.
Tugade also emphasized that the trains are now cooler thanks to the newly-isntalled air-conditioning units, while all escalators and elevators at MRT-3 stations are now fully operational.
"Ang proyektong ito ay para matulungan ang ating mga kababayan na makaranas ng mas maganda, convenient, at komportableng biyahe (This project was aimed at helping Filipinos experience a better, more convenient, and comfortable trip)," Tugade said.