300 passengers unloaded after MRT-3 glitch

MANILA, Philippines — At least 300 passengers were forced to walk on the elevated railroad tracks of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) yesterday when one of the MRT-3’s trains stalled between stations.

The northbound train “encountered a technical problem,” between the Taft and Magallanes stations at around noon yesterday, the MRT-3 said in a statement.

The passengers were forced to get off the train and walk along the railroad tracks to the Magallanes station, based on videos posted on social media.

Netizens also reported long lines at the stations caused by the breakdown.

The MRT-3 management had to implement a so-called “provisional service” from North Avenue to Shaw Boulevard stations at around 1:01 p.m., with the line from Boni Avenue to Taft Avenue stations closed.

The operation of the rail system normalized by around 1:39 p.m., meaning all stations were opened to accommodate passengers, the management noted.

This is the fifth time that MRT-3 trains broke down this year: twice last Jan. 13, once on Jan. 18, once on Feb. 20 and once yesterday.