The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) recorded its highest-ever daily ridership on Nov. 12, 2025, reaching 504,486 passengers, a day after the government offered free ride program.
The previous record was 500,703 passengers, reported on Aug. 20, 2025, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a social media post.
It said the spike followed the directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who instructed the DOTr to implement free rides on the MRT-3, LRT-1 and LRT-2 for the entire day from Nov. 10 to 11.
The DOTr said an average of 13 3-car and 6 4-car train sets ran on the mainline during peak hours to accommodate the higher passenger volume.
MRT3 is a 16.9-kilometer modern rail system that stretches along EDSA’s 10.5-meter median from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, with 13 stations.
The DOTr recently rolled out new cashless payment methods in collaboration with various government agencies and private sector partners to provide faster and more convenient travel for commuters.
The DOTr plans to finalize the bidding mode for the MRT-3’s operations and maintenance (O&M) contract by 2027.
DOTr acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the decision on the privatization bidding mode—either unsolicited or solicited—would be finalized in either April or August 2027. The agency’s transaction adviser, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is studying both modes for the O&M contract.
The MRT-3 system’s assets are now fully owned by the government after the build-lease-transfer agreement between the government and Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) for the line expired on July 15, 2025. The DOTr also extended the contract of the current maintenance provider, Sumitomo Corp., for another year or until July 2026.
