The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) has operated a four-car train in a bid to accommodate more passengers, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Friday, March 11.
The deployment was made possible after a rehabilitation of the tracks that were initially too short for a four-car train, according to the DOTr in a statement.
MRT-3 Director for Operations Michael Capati said that the agency is eyeing to increase the line's carrying capacity by installing trains with four cars each set, following its rehabilitation last December.
"With four-car train sets, we can further increase our line capacity, which will enable us to serve more riding public with a safe and reliable transport system as the country navigates into the new normal," he said.
Capati and representatives from Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and TES Philippines (Sumitomo-MHI-TESP) led MRT-3's technical team and assessed the vehicle's running safety, ride comfort, and stability against derailment.
The last time MRT-3 conducted the same test was in late 2010, DOTr said.