The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) started deploying four-car trains on Monday, April 21, as part of its initiative to improve the commuting experience during peak hours.
The MRT-3 said in a statement that three four-car trains will be deployed during rush hour in the morning and afternoon.
These new trains will complement the 16 three-car trains currently in operation.
With each train car carrying up to 394 passengers, the four-car train can easily accommodate more than 1,500 passengers.
“Following the directives of the President to improve the daily plight of commuters, this move
is part of MRT’s effort to ensure safe and comfortable travel while giving back time to commuters,” the MRT-3 said.
The deployment of four-car trains comes after completing a series of maintenance works during the Holy Week.
MRT-3’s maintenance provider, Japan-based Sumitomo Corp., completed the annual preventive maintenance of the rail line’s subsystems to ensure its safe and orderly operation.
MRT-3 operations were suspended from Maundy Thursday, April 17, until Easter Sunday, April 20.
With the resumption of services on Monday, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon inspected MRT-3’s operations to ensure that passenger flow remains manageable ahead of the anticipated influx of passengers.
Dizon, who was joined by Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda, observed the easing of queues with the addition of four-car trains.
However, he noted that there are still long queues at ticket booths due to passengers buying single-journey tickets.
The DOTr chief said he will work closely with the DICT to address this issue, and he plans to implement a cashless payment system.
Both secretaries also explored the possibility of providing Wi-Fi access for commuters, with MRT-3 being considered as the pilot line for the policy.
The rail line, spanning North Avenue station in Quezon City to Taft Avenue station in Pasay City, recorded a daily average of 375,474 passengers in 2024.
It served 135,885,336 passengers last year, a 5.3-percent increase from the previous year's 129,030,158.
Earlier, the MRT-3 extended its weekday operating hours by an hour to accommodate more passengers traveling at night.