Attention MRT-3 regulars (or what’s left of those who take the train, anyway): The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced the train line will be suspending operations for a handful of weekends from July to September.
The affected weekends will be on July 4 to 5, August 8 to 9, August 21 to 23, and September 12 to 13. There’s good reason for the halt in operations, though, as the line is fast-tracking rail replacement works to meet the project’s September 2020 deadline. Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is handling the train line’s rehabilitation, will also take the downtime as an opportunity to perform maintenance work on electricals and other subsystems.
According to the DOTr, the MRT-3’s speed will increase from 40kph to 60kph following the rail replacement works, and that the interval between trains will gradually be reduced to just three-and-a-half minutes.
The announcement added that those who will be affected by the suspensions may turn to the DOTr’s and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) bus augmentation program.
Frankly, this might be as good an opportunity as MRT-3 management is going to get to temporarily suspend operations considering people are being discouraged from going out. Will you be affected by this move?
