MANILA, Philippines — After a week-long maintenance shutdown this week, the Metro Rail Transit-3 is set to roll out the China-made Dalian coaches next week.
On Monday, foreign vlogger Gadgets Addict featured the Dalian trains on his vlog and announced that the public may get to enjoy these new trains next week.
“This means more trains will be operating each day, carrying more commuters and reducing the wait time between trains,” the vlogger wrote.
The new Dalian trains got brand new seats, better air-conditioning system, new public address system with pre-recorded announcement of stations. It also boasts persons with disability-friendly features such as security belt for wheel chair.
In case of emergencies, the new coaches also have passenger emergency alarm and there are fire extinguishers ready in every door.
The new trains are still undergoing several tests before they will be integrated for public and regular use.
“It’s not gonna be an overnight miracle because there already is a high volume of commuters using the MRT but this is definitely a big step forward,” the vlogger said.
The previous administration procured the P3.8 billion trains from China. There were, however, incompatibility concerns raised after the trains were determined to exceed the weight prescribed in the terms of reference (49,700 kilos vs 46,300 kilos).
CRRC Dalian Co. Ltd. of China, the manufacturer of the trains, however, agreed to shoulder the cost for technical adjustments to be made on the 48 trains.
The current dalian trains already ran up to 6,122 kilometers as it underwent rigorous tests. The trains have been tested since October 2018.
CRRC recently tested the trains before its public launch. It is one of the world's largest supplier of rail transit equipment.
'Ongoing maintenance shutdown'
Meanwhile, the MRT management halted its operation since April 15 to pave way for its annual round of maintenance activities. The services will resume on Monday.
UPDATE: The MRT-3 annual general maintenance shutdown continues on its fourth day today, 18 April 2019.#DOTrPH????????#RailwaysSectorWorks#SulongMRT3 pic.twitter.com/3WQ0INfSQT
— DOTrPH ???????? (@DOTrPH) April 18, 2019
Among the activities made so far were the repair or replacement of loose anchor, replacement of worn out contact wires, preventive maintenance of insulated rail joint and turnout replacement as well as cleanup of ramps and rails.
The MRT also conducted annual preventive maintenance of its fire pumps, sump pumps, water pumps, ventilation system, fire alarm system, CO2; preventive and corrective maintenance of Point Machine and Local Operator Box; preventive maintenance of insulated rail joint; and structural monitoring.
“Preventive and repair activities of the MRT-3 aim to improve the reliability of the system, which the agency shall implement in parallel with the comprehensive rehabilitation and overhaul of the entire railway system,” the DOTr-MRT management said.
According to Gadgets Addict, the MRT-3 management is set to formally turnover the rehabilitation of the railway system to the consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries within late April to early May.
The Department of Transportation earlier said it is bringing back former maintenance provider Sumitomo to rehabilitate the MRT-3 in a span of two to three years. The government is looking into increasing the capacity of the train’s system.