The Transportation Department said Tuesday it expects the delivery of new trains for Metro Rail Transit Line 3 from China in January 2016.
“As reported by the joint DOTC and MRT-3 team, the prototype is on-schedule for delivery in mid-August. The dynamic testing phase will start in November, which is when the prototype’s bogies will arrive,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said.
“In the meantime, we will assemble the prototype and check its components ahead of the dynamic testing. The monthly delivery of three train cars should start in late January 2016,” said.
The agency earlier awarded to Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. CNR Group the contract to supply 48 new light rail vehicles.
Dalian was the only bidder that satisfied the project’s eligibility requirements for the P3.7-billion MRT 3 capacity expansion. It proposed to undertake the project at P3.759 billion.
The project implementation team indicates that the prototype appears to be of good and reliable quality. Better traction motors to incorporate alternating current technology was used instead of direct current system presently being used, which means less maintenance needs in the future.
“What is important to us is that the train cars, once delivered, will be safe and reliable. So we prefer to be thorough with the manufacture, assembly, checking and testing of the prototype,” Abaya said.
The agency and the MRT-3 management denied reports that “excuse letters” might be issued to passengers affected by train glitches.
“At most, a copy of relevant incident reports may be released to any requesting member of the general public for whatever useful purposes this may serve, in line with the policy of transparency,” the agency said.