Additional MRT-3 coaches to arrive Q1 next year

MANILA, Philippines –The  Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) reported  that there will be new coaches expected to be delivered next year.

DOTC said two additional light rail vehicles (LRVs) is expected to be delivered over the next two months. It also announced that there will be one new running train by the end of the first quarter of 2016.

By March 2016, DOTC said four units will be delivered per month which is expected to be completed in 2017. The 48th unit is scheduled to arrive in January 2017.

Last December 23, the second coach of the MRT-3 arrived on schedule at the Manila International Container Terminal.

It will be processed by the Bureau of Customs and transported to MRT-3 Depot and its different components will be examined until February. The tests of its components include testing the German-made traction motors from Voith and brake systems from Knorr-Bremse, and the overall performance of the LRV to ensure that it is safe, reliable, and at par with international standards.

The transport agency’s project implementation team closely monitors the production process to ensure the speedy progress and proper manufacture of the new trains.

DOTC said the 48 new LRVs are part of its MRT-3 capacity expansion project that seeks to decongest the cities’ busiest railway system by widening its capacity to over 800,000 passengers daily.

On December 24, the DOTC also awarded a three-year maintenance deal of the MRT-3 system to a Korean-Filipino group to handle the maintenance and increase the number of the operating trains.