The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) served a total of 129,030,158 passengers in 2023, which is more than 30 percent higher compared to its total ridership in 2022.
MRT-3 officer-in-charge and Transportation Assistant Secretary Jorjette Aquino said the increase in ridership is attributed to the rail line's improved reliability, successful maintenance program, and the resumption of on-site work following the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The MRT-3 served as a reliable partner for more commuters who returned to on-site work in 2023 and needed a fast and dependable mode of transport. The continued effective maintenance and upkeep of the MRT-3’s rehabilitated subsystems contributed to the improved reliability and efficiency of the rail line,” Aquino said.
“Our trains now receive necessary preventive maintenance and upkeep on time, while other subsystems such as tracks, signaling, and power are also properly maintained,” she added.
Aquino also disclosed that the travel time from North Avenue Station to Taft Avenue Station now takes only 30 to 45 minutes. The headway is as short as 3.5 to 4 minutes with 18 train units.
The railway’s average daily ridership also grew by more than 30 percent to 357,198 in 2023, from 273,141 in 2022 and 127,276 in 2021. On August 22, the railway recorded the highest single-day ridership with an impressive tally of 450,298 passengers.
Based on the MRT data, a total of 98,330,683 were served in 2022, and a total of 45,691,914 in 2021.
The MRT-3, meanwhile, served the highest number of passengers in August last year, with a total of 11,618,005, followed by October, September, December, March, November, July, May, January, June, February, and April.
The MRT-3 also said 220,706 passengers benefited from its free ride program in 2023.