Czech, Korean firms eye MRT maintenance

MANILA, Philippines - Two foreign firms have expressed interest in joining the bidding for the P2.25-billion maintenance contract for the accident-prone, glitch-plagued Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT-3) on EDSA.

A source said the tandem of Inekon Group of the Czech Republic and Mosa Engineering as well as Busan Transport Corp. of South Korea have bought bid documents for the three-year maintenance contract for the mass transit system.

The source added that several local companies have also expressed interest in the maintenance contract.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has set the deadline for the submission of bids on Oct. 13. The bidding is open to both foreign and local companies.

The government hopes to restore the reliability of the MRT-3, the operations of which have been marred by accidents and breakdowns largely brought about by non-working communications system as well as water damage due to flooding in its tracks.

The Inekon Group earlier accused a group that included former MRT-3 general manager Al Vitangcol III of trying to extort $30 million in exchange for its bagging a supply contract with the government.

Vitangcol was relieved of his duties last May 26 due to the complaint filed by former Czech ambassador Josef Rychtar with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya earlier said the government decided to bid out a longer maintenance contract as the current one-year contract awarded to a maintenance provider was too short.

The DOTC is extending the one-year maintenance contract with Autre Potre Technique Global Inc. (APT) on a month-on-month basis after it expired last Sept. 5.

Last Aug. 13, a train of MRT-3 overshot the Taft Ave. station and slammed into a stonewall, injuring at least 36 passengers. The DOTC traced the accident to human error and is now initiating administrative cases against two train operators and two control center supervisors for failing to follow standard operating procedure.

The 16.9-kilometer MRT-3 system along EDSA was constructed as part of an integrated strategy to alleviate traffic congestion on Metro Manila’s main highway.

The rail system has 73 air-conditioned rail cars built by CKD Doprovni System of Prague in the Czech Republic.

The government has earmarked a total of P10 billion for the improvement and expansion of MRT-3. The capacity expansion project involves the acquisition of 48 brand new trains from CNR Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. of China.

The delivery of the rolling stocks would increase the capacity of the system by 66 percent to 800,000 per day from the design capacity of 350,000.

Of the P10 billion, P1.15 billion would be set aside for the rehabilitation of 28 aging trains of MRT-3, P94.5 million for the replacement of train engines, P870 million for the upgrade of ancillary systems including power substation, depot facilities parking, North Ave. turnback and Taft Ave. pocket track extension.

More than P185 million would be used to upgrade the signaling system and computer software to improve the reliability of the mass transit system along EDSA.