Only those who ride the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) daily truly understand how unbearable it is at times. It’s not just the lack of proper air-conditioning that makes it so, but also the occasional breakdowns that leave everyone stranded on the tracks in between stations.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is making another move to improve the mass transport system—specifically, the railways in the metro. The agency has been putting more effort into its MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project, and recently announced that a major overhaul is set to take place and that brand-new rails will soon be installed along the tracks. Some good news, we hope.
The DOTr announced via a Facebook post that 100% of the rail shipments have finally arrived in Manila as of July 9, 2019. Check out the official statement below:
“Ang utos ni Secretary Tugade, palitan na yung mga degraded at baku-bakong riles. This is long overdue. In fact, yung kasalukuyang degraded state ng ating mga riles ang nagiging dahilan kaya nagiging matagtag ang takbo ng MRT-3. At yang tagtag na yan ay isa sa pinakamalaking root causes kung bakit tayo nagkakaroon ng aberya,” said John Batan, the DOTr’s undersecretary for railways.
Meanwhile, agency secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement: “We are happy that the rails we procured arrived much earlier than scheduled. In fact, two to three months ahead of schedule. Ebidensya po ito na ang MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project na isinasagawa ngayon ng Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy mula sa bansang Hapon ay hindi drawing, at ito ay on track na matapos sa July 2021.”
The rail-replacement work will commence in November 2019 and will be conducted during non-operating hours. This installation is targeted to be completed by February 2021.
Are you excited to see these improvements to the mass transport system? Tell us what you think in the comments.
