MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has completed the massive rehabilitation of the MRT-3 and is preparing to complete construction works for the Common Station by the end of the month.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a presentation during President Duterte’s “Talk to the People” aired on Monday night that the MRT-3 rehabilitation project undertaken by Japan’s Sumitomo Corp.-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) was completed two months in advance.
“We can inaugurate anytime now,” he said.
Tugade said the MRT-3 increased its operational trains from a low of six to 22 and its operating speed to 60 kilometers per hour from 25 kph.
Headway or train interval was reduced to 3.5 minutes from nine minutes, while ridership capacity was expanded from 200,000 to 600,000 passengers per day.
The MRT-3 rehabilitation project started in April 2019 with the aim of fixing and restoring the MRT-3 to its original, high-grade design.
The DOTr re-engaged the services of Sumitomo-MHI, which is the original designer, builder and maintenance provider of MRT-3 during its first 12 years of operations.
As for the Common Station, Tugade said its construction is scheduled to be finished by the end of the month. The station would be operational when its electromechanical system is installed in July, he added.
Located at the north end of EDSA, the Common Station marks the intersection of four railway lines – Light Railway Transit Line 1, MRT-3, MRT-7 and the Metro Manila Subway – to provide a seamless transfer of passengers from one rail line to another.
It is expected to benefit around 500,000 passengers daily.