DOTC exec: No more long MRT queues in 2015

MANILA, Philippines - Passengers of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) would still have to endure long lines for several more months since the additional train coaches and the new ticketing system will only be operational by 2015.

During the hearing of the Senate Finance Committee on Monday, Transportation and Communication Undersecretary Rene Limcaoco said it is possible to have a "line-less" MRT-3 if there are more train coaches and an Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS).

"Dito ho sa tren, pwede ho yung wala nang pila. As long as we get those additional trains and the AFCS," Limcaoco told Sen. Chiz Escudero during the televised Senate hearing.

General Manager Al Vitangcol III said they will be acquiring 48 new train coaches or cars that will be connected to form new trains.

Starting February next year, three coaches will arrive every month, Vitangcol said. The delivery of all the 48 new coaches, which will be available for immediate use, will be completed by 2016.

Read: MRT-3 to get new trains

Vitangcol said they currently have a total of 73 cars or coaches. At any time, he said, the MRT-3 system can accommodate 20 trains with three cars or coaches each.

But with additional coaches and the implementation of the capacity-expansion program, the MRT-3 will be able to adopt a four-car system for each train, according to Vitangcol.

"[Having an] additional car for every train will effectively increase the capacity by 33 percent," Vitangcol said.

"Instead of 20 trains, we will be running 24 trains in a given hour," he added.

Limcaoco added that acquiring additional train coaches is one way to solve the long MRT passenger lines.

He said having more coaches or trains means more people could be extracted from the MRT-3 platforms, resulting to less crowded stations.

As for the AFCS, Limcaoco said the project was already launched last week and will be implemented by September 2015.

The STAR reported that the AFCS, a single, tap-and-go ticketing scheme for the MRT and Light Rail Transit (LRT), is envisioned to improve passenger comfort and convenience by cutting queuing time and allowing seamless transfers from one rail line to another.

Read: Gov’t, MPIC-Ayala sign deal for MRT-LRT single ticket system

Vitangcol said the AFCS would also allow the passengers to reload on a "multi-basis," their magnetic ticket cards even off the train stations.

According to Vitangcol, the MRT-3 is currently servicing up to 560,000 passengers daily, almost double its capacity of 350,000.

He said in 2012, a maximum ridership of 620,000 passengers was recorded.

Vitangcol said the MRT-3 will be able to serve 750,000 passengers per day if there are additional train coaches.