The Metro Rail Transit 3 management is planning to expand passenger capacity by upgrading its system and putting additional train units in the near future.
MRT 3 director for operations Engineer Michael Capati said the management is optimistic the increase of running train units to become 20 from the present 15 in less than two years.
"Makukuha natin eventually 'yung gusto natin by July 2021. [Ang] capacity natin from 300,000, kaya na natin mag-capacity ng 600,000 passengers a day," said Capati over GMA News Unang Balita.
The travel time, he said, will also be reduced from 30 kilometers to 60 kilometers in an hour.
When the improvements take place, the headway or waiting time on the platform will be shortened from 7.5 minutes to 3.5 minutes, according to Capati.
Capati made the announcement a day after the Department of Transportation dispatched one of the trains made by Chinese Dalian.
The Dalian train set equivalent to three train coaches were expected to hit the tracks of MRT 3 mainline during evening off-peak hours, from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. starting Oct. 15.
The move came after MRT 3’s Japanese maintenance provider, Sumitomo Corp.,-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-TES Philippines, signed last Monday a consent for the limited deployment of one Dalian train set.
The consent indicates that the train set will be deployed for an initial trial period lasting up to when the maintenance provider begins its rail replacement work in November 2019.
Capati said that although three sets of Dalian train have already completed commissioning and validation tests, the deployment will be gradual.
"We try to balance the requirements ng fixing the railing system and on the other hand, 'yung expanding ng capacity natin, eventually nga ang pagpasok ng Dalian train," Capati said.
On Tuesday, the MRT operation was disrupted after a man fell on the rail tracks between Ayala Avenue and Gil Puyat Avenue stations in Makati City.
Mas Sandamon, a resident of Marang Sumisip, Basilan, died on the spot due to severe head injuries after he reportedly jumped and fell on the tracks around 12:30 p.m.
Observers said MRT trains and railways are vulnerable to breakdown which causes injuries, delays and long lines due to inadequate preventive maintenance, absence of regular inspection, lack of spare parts replacement and readiness in times of accidents and risks.
Some senators expressed concerns over the safety of the commuters who endure the everyday long lines and glitches riding the MRT trains. They said the government should come up with the solutions hounding the public transport system.
The MRT-3 line serves 13 stations, starting at North Avenue and ends at Taft Avenue, serving the cities that Epifanio de los Santos Avenue passes through: Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay.
It started its operation in 1999 as the country’s second rapid transit line in Metro Manila. It forms part of the rail transport infrastructure, including the Manila Light Rail Transit System composed two lines which are the LRT-1 and MRT-2, and the Metro Commuter Line of the Philippine National Railways.
