The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to bid out the concession to operate and maintain Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) by October as it seeks to nearly double the railway’s passenger capacity.

In a notice issued last week, the DOTr said it is preparing the tender for the public-private partnership (PPP) project for MRT-3, which will be conducted through a competitive solicited bidding process.

The DOTr expects the project’s terms of reference (TOR) to receive government approval in September, paving the way for the formal bidding process to begin the following month.

There is urgency in finding a new operator for MRT-3 after the 25-year build-lease-transfer (BLT) contract of Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) over the railway expired last year.

Since July 2025, MRT-3 has been under government control, with maintenance and ongoing rehabilitation works being implemented by Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. through 2027.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez previously told Manila Bulletin that Sumitomo’s current contract would serve as a “bridge between now and when we have already awarded the PPP.”

He said the DOTr plans to award the concession within the year.

Based on the project’s current scope, the DOTr wants the company that will take over MRT-3 to ensure the continued operation of the railway without service interruption.

This means the incoming operator will be tasked with adding new rolling stock with four-car configurations and retiring completely knocked down (CKD) light rail vehicles (LRVs) at the end of their service life.

The operator will also deploy the long-idled Dalian trains from China into commercial service, further expanding the passenger capacity of what is already Metro Manila’s busiest railway.

From the current average daily ridership of 400,000, these fleet upgrades are projected to boost capacity to as many as 700,000 passengers.

Further, the operator will also improve the signaling system, depot facilities, as well as communications and power systems to accommodate new rolling stock.

The PPP for MRT-3 also covers the management of the rail line’s portion of the common station project, which will connect it to Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and the under-construction MRT Line 7 (MRT-7).

To encourage leading global railway operators to participate in the bidding, the DOTr is inviting interested parties to join market consultations this month and next month.

“All interested international key players with expertise and interest are encouraged to participate in this event,” the DOTr said.

With support from the PPP Center, the DOTr has tapped the Manila-based multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) as transaction adviser for the project’s bidding process.