fbpx
Wikipedia

MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila)

April 19, 2024

The Metro Rail Transit Line 3, also known as the MRT Line 3, MRT-3 or Metrostar Express, is a light rapid transit system line of Metro Manila, the Philippines.

MRT Line 3
An MRTC 3000 class train passing the Ortigas Interchange in October 2023
Overview
Native nameFilipino: Ikatlong Linya ng Sistema ng Kalakhang Riles Panlulan ng Maynila
StatusOperational
OwnerMetro Rail Transit Corporation
Line number3
LocaleMetro Manila, Philippines
Termini
Stations13[1]
WebsiteDOTr-MRT3
Service
TypeLight rapid transit
SystemManila Metro Rail Transit System
Services1[1]
Operator(s)Department of Transportation
Depot(s)North Avenue
Rolling stockMRTC 3000 class[1]
MRTC 3100 class[1]
Daily ridership357,198 (2023)[2]
Ridership129,030,158 (2023)[2]
History
OpenedDecember 15, 1999; 24 years ago (1999-12-15)
CompletedJuly 20, 2000; 23 years ago (2000-07-20)
Technical
Line length16.9 km (10.5 mi)
Number of tracksDouble-track
CharacterGrade separated
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Loading gauge3,730 mm × 2,600 mm (12 ft 3 in × 8 ft 6 in)[3]
Minimum radiusMainline: 370 m (1,210 ft)
Depot: 25 m (82 ft)
Electrification750 V DC overhead lines
Operating speed60 km/h (37 mph)
SignallingAlstom CITYFLO 250 fixed block[4][5]
Maximum inclineMainline: 4%
Depot spur line: 5%[6]
Average inter-station distance1.28 km (0.80 mi)
Route map

Legend
Quirino Highway
 MMS 
Baclaran
North Avenue
7
San Jose Del Monte
North Avenue Depot
 Quezon Avenue
Lerma - University Avenue
8
  FTI
  NAIA Terminal 3
 MMS 
 GMA–Kamuning
Recto - Antipolo
Araneta Center–Cubao
Santolan–Annapolis
Ortigas
4
 Shaw Boulevard
Boni
Pasig River
Guadalupe
5
EDSA - Sampaguita
Buendia
Ayala
Magallanes
Valenzuela-Gov. Pascual / Tutuban
  FTI / Alabang / Calamba
South Luzon Expressway
Taft Avenue
Roosevelt - Baclaran - Niog
This diagram:

Originally referred to as the Blue Line, MRT Line 3 was reclassified as the Yellow Line in 2012. The line runs in an orbital north to south route following the alignment of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). Although it has some characteristics of light rail, such as the type of a tram-like rolling stock used, it is more akin to a rapid transit system owing to its total grade separation and high passenger throughput.[7]

Envisioned in the 1970s and 1980s as part of various feasibility studies, the 13-station, 16.9-kilometer (10.5 mi) line was the second rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila when it started full operations in 2000 under a 25-year concession agreement between its private owners and the Philippine government's Department of Transportation (DOTr).

The line is owned by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), a private company operating in partnership with the DOTr under a Build-Lease-Transfer agreement. Serving close to 550,000 passengers on a daily basis when MRTC's maintenance provider, Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, was handling the maintenance of the system, the line is the busiest among Metro Manila's three rapid transit lines, built with essential standards such as barrier-free access and the use of contact-less card tickets to better facilitate passenger access. Total ridership significantly exceeds its built maximum capacity of 350,000 passengers a day, with various solutions being proposed or implemented to alleviate chronic congestion in addition to the procurement of new rolling stock.

Since 2006, the private owners of the system had offered various capacity expansion proposals to the DOTC. In 2014, after the DOTC's handling of the line's maintenance for two years amid questions about the line's structural integrity owing to the poor maintenance and the pronouncements that the system, in general, was safe, experts from MTR HK were commissioned to review the system. MTR HK made the opinion that the rail system was compromised due to the DOTC's poor maintenance.[8][9][10] In response to this, the line underwent a comprehensive rehabilitation program funded by Japan's official development assistance from 2019 to 2021. This resulted in upgraded facilities, railway tracks, trains, and other systems.[11][12][13]

The line is integrated with the public transit system in Metro Manila, where passengers also take various forms of road-based public transport, such as buses, to and from a station to reach their intended destination. Although the line is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and travel time along EDSA, the transportation system has only been partially successful due to the DOTC's inaction on the private sector's proposals to expand the capacity of the system to take up to 1.1 million passengers a day. Expanding the network's capacity to accommodate the rising number of passengers is currently set on tackling this problem.

Route edit

 
A Class 3000 train approaching Ayala station

The lines run along the alignment of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue from North Avenue in Quezon City to the intersection of EDSA and Taft Avenue in Pasay. The rails are mostly elevated and erected either over or along the roads covered, with cut and underground sections between Buendia and Ayala stations, the only underground stations on the line. The rail line serves the cities that Circumferential Road 4 (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) passes through: Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City. The line crosses Osmeña Highway and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at Magallanes Interchange in Makati.

In the initial stages of the construction of the transit line, a proposal was formulated for a supplementary rail extension that would traverse from Buendia to Gil Puyat stations, situated between Ayala and Buendia stations. The sole existing trace of this discontinued proposal is an underground tunnel extending from Buendia to Ayala stations, taking a rightward trajectory towards Ayala Avenue. The abandonment of the planned spur line can be attributed to the repercussions of the Asian financial crisis in 1997, leading to the neglect of the designated spur line area subsequent to the commencement of the line's operations in 1999.[citation needed] Despite sporadic references, there is presently no intention to reassess or reinstate this abandoned initiative.

Stations edit

The line has 13 stations along its 16.9-kilometer (10.5 mi) route,[1] spaced on average around 1.3 kilometers (0.81 mi) apart.[1] The southern terminus of the line is Taft Avenue at Pasay Rotonda, the intersection between Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and Taft Avenue, while the northern terminus is the North Avenue along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City. Three stations serve as connecting stations with the lines operated by the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and Philippine National Railways (PNR). The Magallanes station is near PNR's EDSA station, while Araneta Center–Cubao is indirectly connected to the LRT Line 2 station of the same, and Taft Avenue is connected via a covered walkway to the LRT Line 1 EDSA station. No stations are connected to other rapid transit lines within the paid areas, though that is set to change when the North Triangle Common Station, which has interchanges to LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 7, opens in 2023.

There are plans to temporarily close North Avenue to facilitate the construction of the North Triangle Common Station. This is to minimize the operational and safety risks to the overhead catenary wires above the turn back siding north of the North Avenue station. Should this closure proposal be approved, Quezon Avenue will be the temporary terminus of the line. The closure will take place for 30 days.[14]

List of stations
Name Distance (km) Connections Location
Between
stations 		Total
North Triangle — —
Interchange with   Manila LRT
Interchange with   Manila MRT
  •  MMS  North Avenue
Quezon City
North Avenue — 0.000
  •  1  North Avenue
  •  18   33   64  SM North EDSA
Quezon Avenue 1.200 1.200
  •  MMS  Quezon Avenue
  •  1  Quezon Avenue
  •  6   7   17   34   49  Eton Centris
GMA–Kamuning 1.000 2.200
  •  1  Kamuning
Araneta Center–Cubao 1.900 4.100
  •  3  Gateway Mall
     51   53   61  Farmers Plaza
Santolan–Annapolis 1.500 5.600
  •  1  Santolan
Ortigas 2.300 7.900
  • 4 EDSA
  •  1  Ortigas
  •  2  Robinsons Galleria
Mandaluyong
Shaw Boulevard 0.800 8.700 none
Boni 1.000 9.700 none
Guadalupe 0.800 10.500
  • 5 Guadalupe
  •  1  Guadalupe
  •   Guadalupe Ferry Station
Makati
Buendia 2.000 12.500
  •  1  Buendia
Ayala 0.950 13.450
  •  1  Ayala
Magallanes 1.200 14.650
   PNR
Taft Avenue 2.050 16.700
  •  1  Tramo
     1  Taft Avenue
 Pasay
Stations, lines, and/or other transport connections in italics are either under construction, proposed, unopened, or have been closed.

Operations edit

The line is open from 4:40 a.m. PHT (UTC+8) until 10:10 p.m. on a daily basis.[15] It operates almost every day of the year unless otherwise announced. Special schedules are announced via the public address system in every station and also in newspapers and other mass media. During Holy Week, a public holiday in the Philippines, the line is closed for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro, leaving the EDSA Carousel as an alternative mode of transport.[16] Normal operation resumes after Easter Sunday.[17] During the Christmas and year-end holidays, the operating hours of the line are shortened due to the low ridership of the line during the holidays.[18]

It has experimented with extended opening hours, the first of which included 24-hour operations beginning on June 1, 2009 (primarily aimed at serving call center agents and other workers in the business process outsourcing sector).[19] Citing low ridership figures and financial losses, this was suspended after two days, and operations were instead extended from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 am.[20] Operations subsequently returned to the former schedule (5:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 5:30 a.m. until 10:00 pm during weekends and holidays) by April 2010, but services were again extended starting March 10, 2014, with trains running on a trial basis from 4:30 am to 11:30 pm in anticipation of major traffic buildup in light of several major road projects beginning in 2014.[21]

History edit

Early planning edit

 
A northbound train leaving Shaw Boulevard station
 
Taft Avenue station platform area

In 1973, the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (OTCA; predecessor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency) presented a plan to construct five subway lines in Metro Manila. The study was known as the Urban Transport Study in the Manila Metropolitan Area. One of the five lines, Line 3, was planned as a 24.3-kilometer (15.1 mi) line along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), the region's busiest road corridor. The plan would have resolved the traffic problems of Metro Manila and would have taken 15 years to complete.[22]

Another study by JICA was presented in 1976 which included the five lines proposed in 1973. The study recommended heavy rail due to the rising population.[22]

During the construction of the first line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System in the early 1980s, Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zürich designed a comprehensive plan for metro service in Metro Manila. The plan—still used as the basis for planning new metro lines—consisted of a 150-kilometer (93 mi) network of rapid transit lines spanning all major corridors within 20 years.[23] The study integrated the previous 1973 OTCA study, the 1976 JICA study, and the 1977 Freeman Fox and Associates study, which was used as the basis for the LRT Line 1.[22]

Development and early delays edit

The project was restarted as a light rail project in 1989, originally known as the LRT-3 project. It was to be bid out as a build-operate-transfer project, with the Hong Kong-based EDSA LRT Corporation winning the public bidding for the line's construction in 1991 during the term of President Corazon Aquino.[24] However, construction could not commence, with the project stalled as the Philippine government conducted several investigations into alleged irregularities with the project's contract.[25] In 1995, the Supreme Court upheld the regularity of the project which paved the way for construction to finally begin during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos.[26] A consortium of local companies, led by Fil-Estate Management was later joined by Ayala Land, and 5 others, later formed the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) in June 1995 and took over the EDSA LRT Corporation.[24]

Construction and opening edit

 
A train at Magallanes station in 2001.

The MRTC was subsequently awarded a Build-Lease-Transfer contract by the DOTC, which meant that the latter would possess ownership of the system after the 25-year concession period. Meanwhile, the DOTC would assume all administrative functions, such as the regulation of fares and operations, leaving the MRTC responsibility over construction and maintenance of the system as well as the procurement of spare parts for trains. MRTC would later transfer the responsibility of maintaining the system to the DOTC in November 2010. In exchange, the DOTC would pay the MRTC monthly fees for a certain number of years to reimburse any incurred costs.[1]

Construction began on October 15, 1996, with a BLT agreement signed between the Philippine government and the MRTC.[24] An amended turnkey agreement was later signed on September 16, 1997, with Sumitomo Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Sumitomo and Mitsubishi subcontracted EEI Corporation and AsiaKonstrukt for the civil works.[27] A separate agreement was signed with ČKD Dopravní Systémy (ČKD Tatra, now part of Siemens AG), the leading builder of trams and light rail vehicles for the Eastern Bloc, on rolling stock. MRTC also retained the services of ICF Kaiser Engineers and Constructors to provide program management and technical oversight of the services for the design, construction management, and commissioning.[1] MRTC would later sign a maintenance agreement with Sumitomo and Mitsubishi for the maintenance of the line on December 10 of the same year.[28]

During construction, the MRTC oversaw the design, construction, equipping, testing, and commissioning, while the DOTC oversaw technical supervision of the project activities covered by the BLT contract between the DOTC and MRTC. The DOTC also sought the services of SYSTRA, a French consultant firm, with regards to the technical competence, experience and track record in the construction and operations.[1]

On December 15, 1999, the initial section from North Avenue to Buendia was inaugurated by President Joseph Estrada,[29] with all remaining stations opening on July 20, 2000, a little over a month past the original deadline, due to DOTC's inclusion of additional work orders such as the Tramo overpass in Pasay leading to Ninoy Aquino International Airport.[30] However, ridership was initially far below expectations when the line was still partially open, with passengers complaining of the tickets' steep price and the general lack of connectivity of the stations with other modes of public transportation.[31] Passengers' complaints of high ticket prices pointed to the maximum fare of ₱34, which at the time was significantly higher than a comparable journey on those lines operated by the LRTA and the PNR or a similar bus ride along EDSA. Although the MRTC projected 300,000–400,000 passengers riding the system daily, in the first month of operation the system saw a ridership of only 40,000 passengers daily (the ridership improved quickly, however, when passengers experienced significantly faster and convenient travel along EDSA, which experience soon spread by word of mouth).[32] The system was also initially criticized as a white elephant, comparing it to the Manila Light Rail Transit System and the Metro Manila Skyway.[33] To alleviate passenger complaints, the MRTC later reduced passenger fares to ₱15, as per the request of then-President Joseph Estrada and a subsequent government subsidy.

Overcrowding and later decline edit

MRTC projected a capacity breach in the system by 2002. By 2004, the line had the highest ridership of the three lines, with 400,000 passengers daily. By early 2012, the system was carrying around 550,000 to 600,000 commuters during weekdays and was often badly overcrowded during peak times of access during the day and night. The line operated beyond its original designed capacity from 2004 to 2019, and since 2022.[35] In 2011, Sumitomo, through TES Philippines, issued a warning about the overcrowding situation of the line, in which a failure to immediately upgrade the line's trains and systems would result in damage to the trains and systems.[36]

By October 2012, DOTC removed Sumitomo as the maintenance provider of the line due to the high costs of the contract. With the entry of the joint venture of Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corporation (PH Trams) and Comm Builders & Technology Philippines Corporation (CB&T) as the maintenance provider in 2012,[37] and APT Global in 2013,[38] it marked the start of the deterioration of the line due to poor maintenance by the aforementioned maintenance providers that DOTC appointed. In 2014, there were reported daily incidents and disruptions, and a derailment of one train coach on August 13 of that year.[39] The government of Benigno Aquino III had been planning to buy the line from the MRT Corporation (MRTC), the private concessionaire that built the line, and then bid it out to private bidders. The Aquino government accused the MRTC of neglecting and not improving the services of the line under its watch.[40]

In February 2016, the Philippine Senate released a report stating that DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya and other DOTC officials "may have violated" the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in relation to questionable contracts with the subsequent maintenance providers.[41] In a Senate report where the line's condition was found to be in "poor maintenance" as per studies made by MTR HK, DOTC officials were reported to be involved in graft in relation to questionable contracts, especially those for the maintenance of the line.[42]

The DOTC tried to bid out a three-year maintenance contract in 2014 and 2015, but both biddings failed because no bidders submitted a bid.[43][44] Through a negotiated procurement,[45] the Busan joint venture, a joint venture of Busan Transportation Corporation, Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMICorp Inc., and Castan Corporation, was awarded a three-year maintenance contract by the DOTC. The contract started in January 2016 and was slated to end by January 2019.[46] In 2017, DOTC's succeeding agency, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) attributed the operation's disruptions of the rail system to the Busan joint venture, later known as Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI), with DOTr Transport Undersecretary for Rails Cesar Chavez noting 98 service interruptions and 833 passenger unloadings (or average of twice daily) as well as train derailments in April–June 2017.[34] BURI insisted that the disruptions the railway line was experiencing is due to "inherent design and quality concerns" and not to poor maintenance or normal tear or wear. It said that glitches started occurring since 2000, a claim that MRTC dismissed when Sumitomo was maintaining the system.[47] The maintenance contract was terminated on November 6, 2017.[48]

Capacity expansion edit

See also: MRTC 3100 class § Controversies
 
The trains procured under the capacity expansion project in November 2016.
 
Part of the capacity expansion is the conversion of three-car trains to four-car trains with increased capacity.[49]

Due to the high ridership of the line, a proposal under study by the DOTC and NEDA proposed to double the current capacity by acquiring additional light rail vehicles to accommodate over 520,000 passengers a day.[50]

In January 2014, the DOTC entered into a contract with CNR Dalian for the procurement of 48 light rail vehicles. The trains, commonly referred to as the Dalian trains, were delivered in batches from 2015 to 2017. The introduction of the new trains would have allowed the line to handle over 800,000 passengers.[51] The first train was scheduled to be in revenue service before April 2016[52][53] but delays in its 5,000-kilometer (3,100 mi) test run had delayed its deployment for revenue service.[54][55] Nevertheless, the trains entered revenue service on May 7, 2016.[56]

However, the trains became a subject of controversy, citing its incompatibility with the signalling system and weight limits on tracks. Later, it was revealed that several adjustments to the Dalian trains are required prior to revenue run deployment.[57] The train manufacturer CRRC Dalian has agreed to amend the train specifications to match the contract terms at no cost, and will do so in the soonest possible time.[58] Due to the trains undergoing the said adjustments, they were slowly introduced into regular operations, which led to the start of the gradual deployment on October 27, 2018.[59]

Aside from the procurement of the new trains, the capacity expansion project included the upgrading of the ancillary systems such as the power supply, overhead lines, the extension of the pocket track near Taft Avenue station and the modification of the turn back siding north of the North Avenue station.[60][61] The original plan also included the upgrading of the signalling system.[60] These upgrades, except for the upgrades to the Taft Avenue pocket track and the North Avenue turn back siding, would only be realized as part of the line's 2019–2021 rehabilitation.

Plans were also laid to increase the number of cars in each train set, from the current 3-car configuration to 4-car configuration, which also increases the number of passengers being accommodated for each trip, from 1,182 passengers to 1,576 passengers for each train set.[62] The first mention of this plan was in 2013, during the procurement of the new trains.[6] However, in January 2016, a railway expert warned that the power supply at that time was not capable of handling four-car train operations.[63] Despite this, four-car operations were first tested in a Dalian train in May 2016.[64] After the rehabilitation of the line which included the upgrading of the power supply, a dynamic test run for the use of four-car trains for regular operations was conducted in March 2022.[65] Regular four-car operations began in the same month, initially deploying two trains for daily operations, subsequently increased to four.[66][67] Although full conversion was initially planned to be achieved by 2023,[68] all trains reverted to the existing 3-car configuration a few months after the months-long free rides ended.

Rehabilitation edit

 
A vital aspect of the rehabilitation of the line was the replacement of worn-out rails.[69]

As early as 2011, there were proposals to rehabilitate the line. An unsolicited proposal were made by Metro Pacific Investments in 2011 at a cost of ₱25.1 billion. Another proposal was presented in 2014 at a cost of ₱23.3 billion.[70] In 2017, in the wake of various daily service interruptions in the line, San Miguel Corporation expressed its interest to rehabilitate the line.[71] That same year, Metro Pacific submitted another ₱20 billion proposal to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the line.[72] These proposals however would be rejected by the government.

Following the termination of the maintenance contract with Busan Universal Rail, Inc., the DOTr announced on November 29, 2017, that a government-to-government agreement between the Philippines and Japan would be signed by the end of that year, paving the way for Sumitomo Corporation to return as the maintenance provider of the line. The three-year contract would cover the rehabilitation and maintenance of the line.[73] The ₱22 billion project, partly funded by a ₱18 billion loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency,[11] was approved by the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) board of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on August 17, 2018.[74] It intended to rehabilitate and upgrade the existing systems and trains, for the line to return to its original high-grade design. The project was part of the Build! Build! Build! infrastructure program.

On November 8, 2018, the loan agreement for the project was signed,[11] while the rehabilitation and maintenance contract was signed on December 28.[75] The project was initially slated to start by January 2019,[76] but the implementation of a re-enacted government budget for 2019 and finalization of documents caused repeated delays on when the project could start,[77][78] which only started on May 1, 2019.[12]

Under the 43-month contract, which was undertaken by Sumitomo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (part of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries group),[79] and TES Philippines, rehabilitation works were to be done within 26 months.[80] It covers the overhaul of all MRTC Class 3000 vehicles[a], repairs on the escalators and elevators, rail replacement, upgrades on the signalling and communication systems, power supply, overhead systems, maintenance and station equipment.[81] After the rehabilitation, a 17-month maintenance contract will be undertaken by the Japanese firms.[79] The contract was originally slated to end by December 2022, or 43 months after the start of the rehabilitation,[75] but was moved to May 31, 2023.[49][79]

The rehabilitation was originally scheduled to be completed by July 2021. However, delays brought by the COVID-19 pandemic[82] delayed its completion to December 2021.[83] On February 28, 2022, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced that the rehabilitation was finished in December 2021.[84] On March 22, President Rodrigo Duterte and Secretary Tugade inaugurated the newly rehabilitated line at a completion ceremony held at Shaw Boulevard station.[13][79] As part of its completion, free rides were offered for three months.[85][86]

On May 26, 2023, a ₱6.9 billion loan was signed by the governments of Japan and the Philippines for the second phase of the project, covering the line's continued maintenance and its connection to the North Triangle Common Station with the lines that would interchange at that station.[87] Four days later, DOTr and Sumitomo signed a contract to extend the latter's maintenance in the railway line until July 2025.[88] Among the projects included under the new contract is the conversion of the trains used on the line from the present 3-railcars to 4-railcars, following the previous test runs for the 4-car trains last 2022,[49] and the expansion of the Taft Avenue pocket track to cater 4-car trains. The program aims to increase the line's ridership capacity to 500,000 passengers a day.[49] [89]

Station facilities, amenities, and services edit

 
Buendia station, one of the stations with an island platform.
 
Bridge linking the Taft Avenue station to the nearby EDSA LRT station

With the exception of Buendia and Ayala stations, and the platform level of Taft Avenue and Boni stations, all stations are situated above ground, taking advantage of EDSA's topology.[90]

Station layout and accessibility edit

The stations have a standard layout, with a concourse level and a platform level.[60] The concourse is usually above the platform, with stairs, escalators and elevators leading down to the platform level. Station concourses contain ticket booths, which is separated from the platform level by fare gates.[24] Some stations, such as Araneta Center-Cubao, are connected at concourse level to nearby buildings, such as shopping malls, for easier accessibility. Most stations are also barrier-free inside and outside the station, and trains have spaces for passengers using wheelchairs.[24]

Stations either have island platforms, such as Taft Avenue, Buendia, Boni Avenue, and Shaw Boulevard stations, and side platforms, such as from Magallanes station to Ayala stations, Guadalupe, and from Ortigas to North Avenue stations. Due to the very high patronage of the line, before the pandemic, part of the platform corresponding to the first car of the train is cordoned off for the use of senior citizens, pregnant women, children who are below 4 feet (1.2 m) and age seven, and disabled passengers. Since 2021, the first two doors of the first car of the train has been allotted as a priority section for the aforementioned passengers.[91]

The station platforms have a standard length of 130 meters (426 ft 6 in),[60] designed to accommodate trains with four cars.[68] The stations are also designed to occupy the entire span of EDSA, allowing passengers to safely cross between one end of the road and the other.[24]

The line has a total of 46 escalators and 34 elevators across all 13 stations. Prior to the rehabilitation, only few escalators and elevators were operational. The escalators and elevators were rehabilitated as part of the rehabilitation of the line. The project started in June 2019 and was completed on August 20, 2020.[92]

In February 2012, the line allowed folding bicycles to be brought into trains provided that the wheels do not exceed more than 20 inches (51 cm) in diameter.[93]

Platform screen doors were also planned for each station, with the plans for the platform doors were laid out as early as 2013,[94] however, these plans were delayed until it was reconsidered in 2017.[95]

Shops and services edit

Inside the concourse of all stations are stalls or shops where people can buy food or drinks. Stalls vary by station, and some have fast food stalls. The number of stalls also varies by station, and stations tend to have a wide variety, especially in stations such as Ayala and Shaw Boulevard.

Stations such as Taft Avenue and North Avenue are connected to or are near shopping malls and/or other large shopping areas, where commuters are offered more shopping varieties.

Since November 19, 2001, in cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, passengers have been offered copies of the Inquirer Libre, a free, tabloid-size, Tagalog version of the Inquirer, which is available at all stations.[96] In 2014, Pilipino Mirror also started distributing free tabloid newspapers.

Safety and security edit

The line's safety was affirmed in a 2004 World Bank paper prepared by Halcrow, describing the overall state of metro rail transit operations in Manila as being "good".[97] However, since the DOTr took over maintenance of the train system in 2012, the safety and reliability of the system has been questioned, with experts calling it "an accident waiting to happen." While several incidents and accidents were reported between 2012 and 2014, they did not deter commuters from using the system.[98] The Philippine government, meanwhile, continues to assert that the system is safe overall despite those incidents and accidents.[99]

Although the line operated significantly above its designed capacity of between 360,000 and 380,000 passengers per day from 2004[10] to 2019 and government officials have admitted that capacity and system upgrades are overdue,[100] although the DOTr has never acted on the numerous capacity expansion proposals of the private owners. In the absence of major investment in improving system safety and reliability, DOTr has resorted to experimenting with and implementing other solutions to reduce strain on the system, including crowd management on station platforms[101] and the proposed implementation of peak-hour express train service.[102] However, some of these solutions, such as platform crowd management, are unpopular with passengers.[103]

For safety and security reasons, persons who are visibly intoxicated, insane and/or under the influence of controlled substances, persons carrying flammable materials and/or explosives, and persons carrying bulky objects or items over 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) tall and/or wide are prohibited from entering the line.[104] Products in tin cans are also prohibited on board, citing the possibility of home-made bombs being concealed inside the cans.[105]

In late 2000 and early 2001, in response to the Rizal Day bombings and the September 11 attacks, security was increased. Following a vandalism incident in May 2021,[106] the number of security personnel deployed across all stations was increased and a patrol car was deployed for added security.[107] After a bomb threat incident on September 8, 2023, DOTr formed an inter-agency task force to enhance security across all transportation sectors.[108] Units of the Philippine National Police[109] and security police provided by private companies can be found in all stations. All stations have a head guard. Some stations may also have a deployed K9 bomb-sniffing dog. The line also employs the use of closed-circuit television inside all stations to monitor suspicious activities.

Pets have been allowed to ride since July 12, 2021, but pets must be placed inside a carrier bag before boarding a train.[110]

Ridership edit

The original designed ridership of the line is 350,000, yet as the years passed, the number doubled from 450,000 daily passengers in 2006–2007 to 490,000 passengers in 2008 and up to 500,000 passengers from 2010 to 2012, with record numbers reaching as high as 620,000 from 2012 to 2013, before declining to 560,000 in 2014.[35] The high ridership of the line is due to the time consumed when commuting via EDSA, as well as the speed of the trains reaching up to 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph), and connectivity to Metro Manila's major transport hubs, railway lines, and central business districts, which results to a reduced commuting travel time and an increase in ridership. The daily ridership of the line can reach as much as 300,000 to 500,000 passengers from 2012 to 2016, despite poor maintenance and long lines, causing the government to launch bus services, known as MRT Buses, around its stations, to serve as alternatives for 900,000 to 1 million passengers. In addition to the rising daily ridership that continues to exceed the line's designed capacity, and as the government continues to implement the metro line's capacity expansion project, it aims to reach a ridership of 800,000 daily passengers as all of the new trains from China will be added to its current fleet.[51]

Ridership declined in 2015, with a daily average of 327,314 passengers, which is lower than the 2014 record of 464,871 daily passengers on average. The ridership increased slightly in 2016, with a daily average of 370,036 passengers, and the highest recorded daily ridership of 517,929 in December of that year. However, ridership started to decline by 2017 due to poor maintenance and daily breakdowns. Ridership continued to decline through 2018 and 2019, until a significant drop in ridership was recorded in 2020 due to capacity limitations brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, serving 70,000 to 150,000 passengers daily.[111] It previously served almost 40,000 passengers in June 2020,[112] and 150,000 passengers in January 2021.[113] Until February 2022, the line operated at a limited capacity before capacity limitations were removed by March 1, 2022.

Ridership slightly increased in 2021, servicing 136,935 daily passengers on average and 45,675,884 passengers throughout the same year, due to the increased capacity in November 2021.[114] After the completion of the rehabilitation project in 2022, the line offered free rides to commuters in three months. This, in turn, increased the ridership of the line.[115] By the end of the free rides, a total of 28,624,982 passengers rode the line. It also recorded a daily average of 318,055 passengers in the same period.[116] By the end of the year, the line carried 98,330,683 passengers, its highest since the 2019–2021 rehabilitation.[117][2]

Statistics edit

Data from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).[111]

Key
† Highest recorded ridership
Year Daily average % change Annual ridership % change Highest single-day ridership
1999[b] 23,057   368,916   39,760 (December 23, 1999)
2000 109,449   374.69 39,401,465   10,580.34 296,969 (December 22, 2000)
2001 250,728   129.08 90,262,148   129.08 391,187 (December 14, 2001)
2002 282,993   12.87 102,443,564   13.50 417,059 (July 1, 2002)
2003 312,043   10.27 112,647,474   9.96 438,809 (December 19, 2003)
2004 338,431   8.46 122,512,169   8.76 452,926 (December 16, 2004)
2005 356,673   5.39 128,758,894   5.10 465,203 (September 7, 2005)
2006 374,436   4.98 135,171,387   4.98 488,733 (December 15, 2006)
2007 395,806   5.71 142,886,057   5.71 539,813 (December 21, 2007)
2008 413,220   4.40 149,585,563   4.69 527,530 (October 15, 2008)
2009 419,728   1.57 151,521,764   1.29 560,637 (September 15, 2009)
2010 424,041   1.03 153,078,770   1.03 552,509 (October 15, 2010)
2011 439,906   3.74 158,806,049   3.74 577,015 (October 14, 2011)
2012 481,918   9.55 174,454,146   9.85 622,880 (August 17, 2012) †
2013 487,696 †   1.20 176,058,278 †   0.92 621,913 (October 25, 2013)
2014 464,871   4.68 167,818,336   4.68 614,807 (February 14, 2014)
2015 327,314   29.59 118,160,484   29.59 455,164 (February 25, 2015)
2016 370,036   13.05 133,952,890   13.37 517,929 (December 16, 2016)
2017 388,233   4.92 140,152,161   4.63 506,001 (February 10, 2017)
2018 289,654   25.39 104,275,362   25.60 390,325 (January 12, 2018)
2019 270,794   6.51 96,932,972   7.04 359,447 (January 25, 2019)
2020 121,839   55.01 31,799,959   67.19 324,803 (January 24, 2020)
2021[114] 136,935   12.39 45,675,884   43.64 223,739 (December 23, 2021)
2022 273,141   99.47 98,330,683   115.28 389,784 (June 17, 2022)
2023 357,198   30.77 129,030,158   31.22 450,298 (August 22, 2023)

Fares and ticketing edit

The line, like all other lines in Metro Manila, uses a distance-based fare structure, with fares ranging from 13 to 28 pesos (24 to 51 U.S. cents), depending on the destination. Commuters who ride the line are charged ₱13 for the first two stations, ₱16 for 3–4 stations, ₱20 for 5–7 stations, ₱24 for 8–10 stations and ₱28 for 11 stations or the entire line. Children below 1.02 meters (3 ft 4 in) (the height of a fare gate) may ride for free.

Fares are free of charge every March 8 (International Women's Day; free rides exclusive for women),[118] June 12 (Independence Day),[119][120] and December 30 (Rizal Day) on limited time slots.[121]

The line, along with the LRT Line 2 and Philippine National Railways lines also offered free rides to students starting July 1, 2019,[122] but students must register to avail a student pass.[123] However, the free rides for students stopped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as distance learning was implemented as a mode of learning during the pandemic.[111] With the shift towards the return of physical face-to-face classes, a plan to return the free rides to students by August 2022 was announced;[124] however, free rides for students will only be limited to the LRT Line 2 due to more losses that the government will incur as a consequence of the free rides.[125] Instead, the line will offer a 20% fare discount for students that wish to avail.[126]

Types of tickets edit

 
The design of the single journey ticket prior to introduction of Beep card in 2015.

Magnetic tickets (1999–2015) edit

Two types of tickets exist: a single-journey (one-way) ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination, and a stored-value (multiple-use) ticket for 100 pesos. The 200-peso & 500-peso stored-value tickets were issued in the past, but have since been phased out. The single-journey ticket is valid only on the date of purchase. Meanwhile, the stored-value ticket is valid for three months from date of first use.[104]

The tickets come in several incarnations: these include tickets bearing the portraits of former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,[127] which have since been phased out, and one bearing the logos of the DOTC and the MRTC. Ticket shortages are common: in 2005, the MRTC was forced to recycle tickets bearing Estrada's portrait to address critical ticket shortages, even resorting to borrowing stored-value tickets from the LRTA[128] and even cutting unusable tickets in half for use as manual passes. Shortages were also reported in 2012,[129] and the DOTC was working on procuring additional tickets in 2014.[130] Because of the ticket shortages, it had become common practice for regular passengers to purchase several stored-value tickets at a time, though ticket shortages still persist.[131]

Although it has partnered with private telecommunications companies in experimenting with RFID technology as an alternative ticketing system in the past,[132][133] these were phased out in 2009.[134]

Beep cards (2015–present) edit

Main article: Beep (smart card)

Currently, inter-operable beep cards with similar-to-the-previous single-journey and stored-value ticket types are now issued, along with the deployment of brand-new ticketing machines that replaced the barely-used ticketing machines that has been in place since the line's inauguration. The beep, tap-and-go tickets, loadable up to ₱10,000, became available to use in all stations of the line on October 3, 2015.[135]

A shortage of the stored value cards was reported in 2022 due to the ongoing global chip shortage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[136][137]

Fare adjustment edit

Adjusting passenger fares was ordered by President Joseph Estrada as a means to boost flagging ridership figures,[138] and the issue of fares both historically and in the present day continues to be a contentious political issue involving officials at even the highest levels of government.

Current fare levels were set on January 4, 2015, as a consequence of DOTr (formerly DOTC) having to increase fares for LRT Line 1 as per their concession agreement with MPIC-Ayala, with fare hikes delayed for several years despite inflation and rising operating costs.[139] Prior to the current fares levels, fares were set on July 15, 2000, under the orders of then President Estrada; this was intended to have the line become competitive against other modes of transport,[140] but had the effect of causing revenue shortfalls which the government shouldered. While originally set to last only until January 2001,[140] the new fare structure persisted due to strong public opposition against increasing fares,[141] especially as ridership increased significantly after lower fares were implemented.[138] In 2022, when the line waived its fares, ridership also increased.[142] These lower fares—which are only slightly more expensive than jeepney fares—ended up being financed through large government subsidies amounting to around ₱45 per passenger,[141][143] and which for both the MRT and LRT reached ₱75 billion for the 10-year period between 2004 and 2014.[144] Without subsidies, the cost of a single trip is estimated at ₱60,[143] and a ₱10 increase in fares would yield additional monthly revenues of ₱2–3 billion a month.[145]

Passenger fare subsidies are unpopular outside Metro Manila, with subsidy opponents claiming that their taxes are being used to subsidize Metro Manila commuters without any benefit to the countryside, and that the fare subsidies should be used for infrastructure improvements in the rest of the country.[146] In his 2013 State of the Nation Address, President Benigno Aquino III claimed that it would be unfair for non-Metro Manila residents to use their taxes to subsidize the LRT and MRT.[147] However, supporters of the subsidies claimed that the rest of the country benefits economically from efficient transportation in Metro Manila.[148]

In January 2023, a petition was filed for a ₱4–6 fare hike due to a major net loss incurred; in 2022, the incurred revenue was only ₱1.11 billion whereas the expenses amounted to roughly ₱8.97 billion, resulting in a loss of ₱7.86 billion. In the petition, the MRT-3 management said that fare revenues were never enough to compensate the MRTC to cover the initial investment in the construction, operations, and maintenance of the line.[149] The fare hike is now set for the first quarter of 2024.[150]

Rolling stock edit

 
MRTC 3000 class
 
MRTC 3100 class

The line runs light rail vehicles (LRV) in a regular three-car configuration. Four-car trains began operating by March 2022, although most trains remain running in three cars.[66] The DOTr planned to convert all three-car trains to four-car trains by 2023.[68] Two train types run in the line, the latest being those purchased from CRRC Dalian, under the Aquino administration.

The line has a total of 121 light rail vehicles. 73 of which were made in the Czech Republic by ČKD (now part of Siemens AG)[1] and were purchased with export financing from the Czech government.[151] One ČKD train car was damaged following a derailment of a train in 2014. Another 48 were made by CRRC Dalian in China that were purchased at a cost of ₱3.8 billion. Trains have a capacity of 1,182 passengers,[1] expandable to 1,576,[152] which is a little bigger than the normal capacity of LRT Line 1 first generation rolling stock that has a capacity with the same configuration of 1,122 passengers, although trains came with air conditioning.[c] Despite this, it is designed to carry in excess of 23,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), and is expandable to accommodate 48,000 passengers per hour per direction.[1]

The plans for new rolling stock has been an issue for the MRT during the Aquino administration under DOTC's leadership of then Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, with plans to acquire 52-second-hand LRVs offered from Madrid Metro in Spain with a budget of ₱8.43 billion,[153] along with a proposal from Inekon Trams in 2013.[154] However, undisclosed issues and train incompatibility issues regarding the project, the project was downgraded to 48 LRVs, with the contract having CRRC Dalian supply 48 new LRVs.

The deployment of the Dalian trainsets was delayed due to several factors, including weight limits on existing tracks and inconsistencies in production, which has since been corrected. On October 27, 2018, DOTr started the gradual deployment of the 2nd-generation trains.[59] Currently, none of the Dalian trains are in operation.[114]

The trains are designed to run at a maximum speed of 65 kilometers per hour (40 mph), but currently run at a maximum safe speed of 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph), though some areas are limited to a speed of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour (25 to 31 mph) like turnouts. Until 2014, all trains ran at the maximum speed until speed restrictions were implemented following a derailment incident of a train coach at Taft Avenue station on August 13 of that year, in which the maximum speed was restricted to 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph).[155] By 2017, it was subsequently downgraded to 30 kilometers per hour (19 mph).[156] After the completion of a rail replacement program, the operating speed was gradually increased from 30 kilometers per hour (19 mph), to 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph) on October 1, 2020,[157] to 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph) on November 3,[158] and to 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph) on December 7.[159]

Due to poor maintenance by the previous maintenance contractors, the line previously operated with 7–10-minute headways under the DOTr orders,[1] and the line's passenger volume operated at 15,000–18,000 passengers per hour per direction before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the enhancements and rehabilitation, the delays were gradually shortened, and the passenger volume is expected to increase to 19,000–25,000 passengers per hour per direction with the introduction of four-car trains and the lifting of capacity restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.[160]

In early 2018, the lack of spare parts for the trains decreased the number of usable trains to just 3 to 7 operational trains running during peak hours.[161][162] The Department of Transportation (DOTr) attributed this to the previous maintenance provider, Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI), for failing to provide enough spare parts for the trains.[163] However, by April 2018, after maintenance works were done, the usabale trains were increased to 14–16.[164]

Due to aging air conditioning units that have been in place since the line's inauguration and complaints of uncomfortable indoor temperatures from riders, the air-conditioning units for the first-generation trainsets were first replaced in 2008 during the line's first general overhaul in 2008 to 2009.[165] In 2017, the second replacement of the air conditioning units commenced, with new units ordered from Thermo King. The replacement of these units were finished on June 18, 2021, as part of the line's rehabilitation project.[166]

The Passenger Assist Railway Display System (PARDS), a passenger information system powered by LCD screens installed near the ceiling of the train that shows news, advertisements, current train location, arrivals and station layouts, are already installed inside the first-generation trains. PARDS is also installed on trains on LRT lines 1 and 2.[167]

Depot edit

The line maintains an underground depot in Quezon City near North Avenue station. Above the depot is TriNoma, a shopping mall owned by the Ayala Corporation. The depot occupies 84,444 square meters (908,950 sq ft; 8.4444 ha) of space and serves as the center of operations and maintenance. It is connected to the mainline through a spur line. The depot is capable of storing 81 light rail vehicles, with the option to expand to include 40 more vehicles as demand arises.[60] They are parked on nine sets of tracks, which converge onto the spur route and later on to the main network.[1] However, a lot of rail tracks for storage inside the depot owned by MRTC were taken by DOTC (now DOTr) to repair broken rails,[168] as DOTC's previous maintenance provider did not purchase spare rails. These rails have since been replaced during the rehabilitation done along the entire line by Sumitomo.

Other infrastructure edit

Signalling edit

 
Two-aspect signal lights at Shaw Boulevard station

The line uses the CITYFLO 250 fixed block signalling solution supplied by Alstom (formerly Bombardier Transportation),[4] designed for light rapid transit operations with on-board automatic train protection (ATP) system on trains.[169][170] Aside from the ATP system, the signalling system consists of train detection through track circuits, EBI Screen 900 centralized traffic control, and computer-based interlocking.[171][1]

Adtranz, later Bombardier Transportation, designed and supplied the original signalling system of the line, and maintained it from 2000 to 2012.[4][172] The firm owns the proprietary rights to supply new components for the system. Plans were laid to upgrade the signalling system were laid in 2015. That same year, Bombardier, through its Thai subsidiary Bombardier Transportation Signal (Thailand), was awarded the contract to upgrade the system's local control system. The upgrade replaced the MAN 900 system with the EBI Screen 900 system with modern computers and fiber optic technology.[173]

The previous maintenance providers failed to properly maintain the signalling system and used non-OEM parts to save costs. This in turn, caused many problems within the system which became among the top three reasons of service interruptions on the line.[4] Plans to upgrade the signalling system were restarted in 2018, when the Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bombardier Transportation on February 9, 2018, for the procurement of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the signalling equipment and spare parts.[4] Included in the MoU was a two-year maintenance contract[4] that was later cancelled in May 2019 due to the rehabilitation program which included the maintenance of the signalling system by Sumitomo.[174]

The 2019–2021 upgrade included the replacement of copper cables with fiber optic cables,[175] installation of 71 new signal lights,[176] new interlocking equipment, new point machines, new track circuits (including tuning units which form part of the track circuits),[177] and other wayside equipment.[178] Works continued during the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation by Alstom in January 2021. The upgraded system was commissioned on October 24, 2021.[5]

Tracks edit

 
Pocket track turnout and new railway sleepers near Taft Avenue station

The standard gauge tracks consist of 54-kilogram-per-meter (36 lb/ft) rails designed to the UIC 54 rail profile,[1][6] which are welded together to form a long-welded rail.[69] Some rails located in the turnouts have fishplates bolted at the ends of the rail. These are laid on sections of the line with ballasted and concrete plinth sections.[60] Sections with track ballast are located on at-grade sections and the underground portion of the line (except Buendia station and the turnouts south of the station), while plinth sections are located at elevated sections of the line. The tracks on ballasted sections are supported by concrete sleepers.[60] The rehabilitation of the line led to the introduction of fiber-reinforced foam urethane (FFU) railway sleepers. FFU sleepers are found at the line's depot and the turnouts near Taft Avenue station.[179]

Plans to replace the rail tracks were laid in 2015. Replacement works in certain sections of the line were conducted in February and March of that year.[180][181] In January 2015, the joint venture of Jorgman, Daewoo, and MBTech Group was awarded the ₱61.5 million contract for the major replacement works. The joint venture supplied 7,296 pieces of 12-meter (39 ft) rails.[182]

However, the rails would later be worn out. A rail replacement program started on November 4, 2019, as part of a rehabilitation program.[69] 4,053 pieces of 18-meter (59 ft) rails assembled by the Nippon Steel Corporation in Fukuoka, Japan were used for the replacement program.[183] Rail replacement works were suspended during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, but works resumed in April 2020 and the replacement was fast-tracked.[184][185] The replacement program was slated to be completed by February 2021, but was completed five months early, in September 2020.[185] The turnouts near the Taft Avenue station were repaired in October and November 2020.[186][187] The rail replacement was intended to increase the operating speed from 30 kilometers per hour (19 mph) to 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph) and was achieved on December 7, 2020.[159]

Plans and proposals edit

Privatization edit

In November 2022, the Department of Transportation said that it is considering to privatize the operations and maintenance of the line to enhance efficiency, reduce operating costs, and keep fares affordable. The rail lines assets will remain owned by the government, similar to the LRT Line 1.[188] Such a plan was announced as early as 2017.[189]

Southern and western extension edit

During the line's construction in 2000, Pasay residents raised concerns about the line being constructed at ground level, resulting in the closure of several intersections along EDSA, forcing people to take long detours just to cross EDSA. Residents also complained that they were not properly consulted about the line's construction in their area. The MRTC stated that the segment could not be made as an elevated railway due to the air rights above the LRT-1 already being awarded to the Department of Public Works and Highways for a flyover in 1996.[190]

In a feasibility study in 2009 and in 2015, launched by Japan International Cooperation Agency, along with the Department of Transportation, the Transport and Traffic Planners (TTPI) Inc.[191] and other Japanese and local railway officials, launched a plan to extend the present MRT line's southern end, by constructing a 2.2-kilometer (1.4 mi) at-grade and underground segment, from Taft Avenue station to the SM Mall of Asia complex.[192] Plans were also laid out to add another station, by traversing through Macapagal Boulevard and linking the line to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, therefore adding another 3.1 kilometers (1.9 mi) to the main line. The study also included a planned 7.2-kilometer (4.5 mi) extension to the northern and western cities of Navotas, Southern Caloocan, and Malabon, which is also included to the planned merging project with the LRT Line 1, and connecting it to the North–South Commuter Railway Caloocan station.[192]

Due to the numerous problems surrounding the project, such as right-of-way and cost issues, the government decided to presumably scrap the extension plans, and look for alternatives instead, such as the planned Integrated Pasay Monorail project by the Pasay City LGU and SM Investments, starting from the Taft Avenue station to SM Mall of Asia.[193]

Line merge with LRT Line 1 edit

Although Phase 1 of the line (Taft Avenue to North Avenue) has already been built, the route envisioned by the DOTC and the government, in general, was for it to traverse most of EDSA (from Monumento to Taft Avenue), eventually meeting with the LRT 1 at Monumento in Caloocan (Phase 2) to create a seamless rail loop around Metro Manila. The expansion has been shelved by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in favor of the LRT Line 1's extension from Monumento to a new common station that it will share with at North Avenue, thus closing the loop. However, this move of President Arroyo to take away Phase 2 had proven to be ill-advised as the ridership is very low at only about 30,000 passengers a day. The southern terminus of the MRT Line 7 (originally Line 4 along Quezon Avenue, but had since changed route several times), which will link Quezon City, Caloocan (north), and San Jose del Monte, Bulacan will be sharing the same station.

The National Economic and Development Authority, as well as then President Arroyo, herself have said that the link at North Avenue is a national priority, since it would not only provide seamless service between the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3, but would also help decongest Metro Manila.[194] It is estimated that by 2010, when the extension is completed, some 684,000 commuters would use the line every day from the present 400,000, and traffic congestion on EDSA would be cut by as much as 50%.[195]

Proposals to fully unite LRT-1 and MRT-3 operations and systems have been pitched but has not been pursued so far. Feasibility tests for this proposition included LRT-1 trains visiting MRT 3 depot facilities and running them on the entire line. Even if the physical infrastructure connecting the two rail systems are in place and successfully tested,[196] commuters have to go down at the Roosevelt station of LRT Line 1 and walk over or take a tricycle or jeepney for the 1-kilometer (0.62 mi) distance to the Trinoma terminal of MRT Line 3.[197] In 2011, a year after the completion of the loop, the then-Department of Transportation and Communications, under Secretary Jose de Jesus, launched an auction for a temporary five-year operations and maintenance contract for the MRT-3 and LRT-1. The bidding was set by July 2011. Over 21 companies from around the world expressed interest to bid which included Metro Pacific Investments, Sumitomo Corporation, Siemens, DMCI Holdings, San Miguel Corporation, and others.[198] After de Jesus resigned from the DOTC,[199] his successor, Mar Roxas, halted the auction process and was later shelved.[200]

Transfer of operations from MRTC to LRTA edit

A new study for the Metro Manila Rail Network has been unveiled by DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco that LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3 will be placed under the management of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). This is due to maintenance cost issues for LRT 1's maintenance cost, which is approximately ₱35 million, along with LRT Line 2's ₱25 million and MRT Line 3's ₱54 million maintenance costs. Another reason for this study is for the unification of the lines. According to DOTC Undersecretary for Rails Glicerio Sicat, the transfer was set by the government in June 2011.[201] However, it is unlikely that the private owners, MRTC, will approve this plan.

On January 13, 2011, Light Rail Transit Authority Chief Rafael S. Rodriguez took over as officer-in-charge of the line in preparation for the integration of operations of the three lines,[202] but with the entry of a new leadership into the DOTC that year and in 2012, the transfer was deemed not likely to happen; however, in April 2012, a LRT 1 trainset made the first trial journey to the MRT 3 depot.[203]

On May 26, 2014, the line's general manager Al Vitangcol was sacked by Transportation and Communication Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, and was replaced by LRTA Administrator Honorito Chaneco as officer-in-charge. The move came after Vitangcol was accused by the ambassador of the Czech Republic of extortion and for awarding the maintenance contract in October 2012 to PH Trams, a company established by Vitangcol's uncle-in-law. Vitangcol was also involved in an attempt to extort $30 million from Inekon Group in exchange of 48 train vehicles in July 2012.[204]

North Triangle Common Station edit

Main article: North Triangle Common Station

On November 21, 2013, the NEDA board, chaired by President Benigno Aquino III, approved the construction of a common station within North Avenue between SM City North EDSA and TriNoma Mall. It is estimated to cost 1.4 billion pesos. It will feature head-to-head platforms for LRT 1 and MRT 3 trains with a 147.4-meter (484 ft) elevated walkalator to MRT 7.[205] SM Investments Corporation posted 200 million pesos for the naming rights of the common station.[206] This is inconsistent with the original plan of having seamless connectivity to Monumento and is also an unusual arrangement of having two train stations beside each other. However, the project was shelved indefinitely due to disputes over cost, engineering issues and naming rights.[207] The Supreme Court halted the construction of the project in August 2014 after SM Prime Holdings contested the new location near Trinoma.[208][209] An agreement was later reached under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte on September 28, 2016, and the common station finally begun construction on September 29, 2017.[210] Partial operations of the station will begin in 2023.[211]

Incidents edit

 
Passengers unloading from a 3000 class train in 2014 due to a service incident.

During the testing period of the system, the MRT–3 has been prone to numerous disruptions and breakdowns due to technical problems in the overall systems and design since its opening in 1999, due to many factors, such as the humid conditions in the country, lack of accessibility to the stations, and incompatible problems in the rolling stock, causing major adjustments to the system.

However, problems began to arise in 2012, due to poor maintenance causing train glitches, lack of spare parts, and negligence. The system has faced numerous interruptions and accidents. This in turn has caused lower ridership, frequent unloading of passengers and passenger inconvenience.[212]

These are some of the notable incidents involving the railway line:

  • On November 3, 2012, a MRTC 3000 class train from the Araneta Center-Cubao station caught fire as it approached GMA–Kamuning station, causing passengers to scramble to the exits, and having two women injured. The train caught fire due to electrical short-circuit technical failure.[213]
  • On May 8, 2013, a man was killed in an apparent suicide after allegedly jumping in front of an oncoming MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station.[214]
  • On March 26, 2014, a southbound MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station suddenly stopped due to the train driver not observing the red light status at the Guadalupe station and accelerated southbound without getting prior clearance from the Control Center, causing the automatic train protection system to trigger and activate the emergency brakes, resulting in eight injuries.[215]
  • On August 13, 2014, a southbound MRTC 3000 class train heading to Taft Avenue station derailed and overshot to the streets. The train first stopped after leaving Magallanes station due to a technical problem. Later on, the train broke down altogether, so another train was used to push the stalled train. During this process, however, the first train became detached from the rails and overshot towards Taft Avenue. As a result, the train crashed through the buffer stop and concrete barriers and derailed onto Taft Avenue. At least 38 people were injured. The accident was blamed on two train drivers and two control personnel for failing to follow the proper coordination procedures and protocol.[216][217]
  • On September 2, 2014, a MRTC 3000 class train continued with one of its doors left open after a train door failed to close at the Guadalupe station. The passengers were then evacuated after the train arrived at Boni station.[218]
  • On November 14, 2017, an alighting passenger at the Ayala station suddenly fell down to the tracks. The passenger was caught between the first and second cars of the train, and her arm was cut off. Operations were disrupted but was resumed shortly.[219] The injured passenger was then brought to a nearby hospital and her arm was reconnected by surgeons the following day.[220] Following this incident, the government reconsidered the use of platform screen doors in stations to prevent such incident.[95]
  • On November 16, 2017, at 11:30 am, at least 140 passengers were evacuated from a train car that detached from a MRTC 3000 class train between the railway lines of Buendia and Ayala Avenue Stations.[221]
  • On August 7, 2018, an aircon leak caused the inside of a MRTC 3000 class train to flood, prompting passengers inside to open their umbrellas. The train was removed from service to fix the air conditioning unit and the train involved in the incident returned to service the following day.[222]
  • On September 26, 2018, two maintenance vehicles collided between Buendia and Guadalupe stations while doing a routine track maintenance, injuring 7 people. This resulted in a one-hour delay of the deployment of trains, causing long lines at stations.[223]
  • On September 6, 2019, an overhead catenary line section snapped at Guadalupe station, causing a power supply glitch in the whole line affecting over 7,000 passengers. Partial operations were implemented from North Avenue station to Shaw Boulevard station. The situation normalized at 5:00 pm.[224] The incident was caused by a defective and old Protection and Control Unit (PTU) that was overdue for replacement, after an investigation was made. Train preparation and daily maintenance were among the factors that failed to prevent this incident.[225]
  • On November 4, 2019, at 4:08 pm, a MRTC 3000 class train suddenly emitted smoke while on the northbound track of the line. Around 530 passengers were unloaded. Around two hours after the incident, the operation of the line was back to normal.[226] The fire was caused by a short-circuit in the traction motor.[227]
  • On May 9, 2021, two men were arrested for illegally going down to the railway tracks at Quezon Avenue station to take a selfie.[228]
  • On May 12, 2021, a MRTC 3000 class train car was vandalized by an unidentified culprit near Taft Avenue station. Investigations were conducted and initial reports state that the culprit had cut the perimeter fence near Taft Avenue station, which may have caused the vandalism.[106]
  • On October 9, 2021, a MRTC 3000 class train car caught fire near the Guadalupe station. A provisional service was implemented between North Avenue and Shaw Boulevard station, and the site of the incident was declared fire out at 9:51 pm. As a result of the incident, 8 passengers sustained minor injuries.[229] Normal operations resumed the following day.[230]
  • On November 21, 2021, a window in a MRTC 3000 class LRV was damaged due to a stoning incident, with one injury reported.[231] The suspect was later identified as a garbage collector and was subsequently arrested and charged.[232]
  • On June 12, 2022, two persons fell to their deaths from the EDSA-Taft Avenue (Tramo) flyover, onto the MRT-3 tracks leading to Taft Avenue station, causing an hour-long interruption in services.[233]

Notes edit

  1. ^ The overhauls were carried out during most of the entire duration of the contract (originally 43 months) and not the initial 26-month rehabilitation period.
  2. ^ Data from December 16 to 31, 1999.
  3. ^ The LRT Line 1 first-generation trains originally came with forced ventilation until the trains were refurbished with air conditioning from 2003 to 2004.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p . Metro Rail Transit. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "MRT-3 served around 357K passengers a day in 2023: DOTr". ABS-CBN News. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Japan International Cooperation Agency; Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd.; ALMEC Corporation; Katahira & Engineers International; Tonichi Engineering Consultants, Inc. (July 2013). APPENDICES (PDF). STUDY ON RAILWAY STRATEGY FOR ENHANCEMENT OF RAILWAY NETWORK SYSTEM IN METRO MANILA OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES - FINAL REPORT - LRT LINE 1 CAVITE EXTENSION PROJECT (Report). Vol. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Pateña, Aerol John (February 9, 2018). "Bombardier to supply parts, signalling system for MRT upgrade anew". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Alstom in the Philippines" (PDF). Alstom. November 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Department of Transportation and Communications (2013). Design and/or Supply and Delivery of Forty-Eight (48) Light Rail Vehicles with On-board Communication System (Radio, Public Address, Intercom), On-board ATP System and One (1) Unit Train Simulator (PDF) (Report). (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  7. ^ "Govt eyes June for start of MRT-LRT loop project". BusinessWorld. April 18, 2008. Retrieved April 5, 2022 – via GMA News.
  8. ^ Salazar, Irineo B. R. (January 31, 2016). "On a clear day you can see the MRT". The Society of Honor by Joe America. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  9. ^ Mendez, Christina (August 11, 2015). "Poe's Senate panel to resume hearing on Line 3". The Philippine STAR. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Amojelar, Darwin G. (August 14, 2014). . InterAksyon. TV5 News and Information. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c Padin, Mary Grace (November 8, 2018). "Government, inks P18.8 billion JICA loan for MRT-3 rehabilitation". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Magsino, Dona (May 1, 2019). "MRT3 rehab, maintenance starts". GMA News Online. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Grecia, Leandre (March 22, 2022). "DOTr marks the completion of the MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project". Top Gear Philippines. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  14. ^ Ombay, Giselle (December 9, 2021). "DOTr: Mitigating measures will be placed in case EDSA-North Avenue station temporarily closes". GMA News. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Luna, Franco (March 29, 2022). "MRT-3 deploys 4-car, 3-car train sets simultaneously". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  16. ^ Valmonte, Kaycee; Luna, Franco (April 14, 2022). "Tugade sorry for inconvenience brought by MRT-3 closure on last workday of Holy Week". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  17. ^ "MRT, LRT-2 to suspend operations during Holy Week holidays". ABS-CBN News. March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  18. ^ Grecia, Leandre (December 21, 2021). "Here are the LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 schedules for Christmas 2021". Top Gear Philippines. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  19. ^ Olchondra, Riza T. (May 29, 2009). . Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on May 30, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  20. ^ Kwok, Abigail (June 3, 2009). . Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  21. ^ Camus, Miguel R.; Calleja, Niña P. (February 21, 2014). "DOTC extends MRT-3 operating hours". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  22. ^ a b c Jose, Ricardo; Mabazza, Daniel; Lagman, Marco Stefan; Villasper, Jonathan. (PDF). University of the Philippines Diliman. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 20, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  23. ^ . Light Rail Transit Authority. Archived from the original on September 24, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Anonas, Alma S. (June 10, 1999). "On track and heading for Year 2K on MRT-3". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved January 21, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  25. ^ Macaspac, Joem H.; Garcia, Ma. Luisa M. (March 28, 1996). "First phase of Edsa metro rail transit system under way". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved January 21, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  26. ^ "G.R. No. 114222". April 6, 1995. from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  27. ^ "About Us". Metro Rail Transit Corporation. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  28. ^ Marcelo, Elizabeth (January 14, 2016). "DOTC at fault for 'inefficient' maintenance providers, letting MRTC off the hook —COA". GMA News. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "Miracle rail project to rid Edsa of jams". New Straits Times. The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd. December 15, 1999. Retrieved January 21, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  30. ^ . Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. July 16, 2000. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021.
  31. ^ Trinidad, Andrea H. (January 2, 2000). "Metrostar Express proves a big disappointment". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 21, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  32. ^ Rivera, Blanche S. (January 13, 2000). "Metro trains on EDSA running almost empty". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 21, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  33. ^ Katigbak, J.R. (January 8, 2000). "New white elephants in Metro Manila". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 21, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  34. ^ a b Dela Paz, Chrisee (August 28, 2017). "Busan Universal Rail calls DOTr's move to end contract 'unfair'". Rappler. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  35. ^ a b de Fiesta, Ria (February 27, 2014). "Abaya: MRT-3 operating at overcapacity". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  36. ^ Tiglao, Rigoberto (October 5, 2014). "MRT-3 may collapse anytime". The Manila Times. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  37. ^ Arcangel, Xianne (November 25, 2016). "Vitangcol faces graft raps over alleged extort try on Czech firm". GMA News. GMA Network Inc. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  38. ^ "APT wins MRT-3 maintenance contract". Rappler. September 2, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  39. ^ Cruz, Neal H. (September 3, 2014). "DOTC at fault for MRT-3 breakdowns". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  40. ^ Rosario, Ben (October 14, 2014). . Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  41. ^ Estanislao, Anna (February 4, 2016). . CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  42. ^ De Guzman, Kristine (February 4, 2016). . CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  43. ^ "Bidding for MRT3 maintenance contract fails". Rappler. October 29, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  44. ^ Bondoc, Jarius (January 26, 2015). "LRT, MRT biddings all flop – as planned". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  45. ^ Mariano, Keith Richard (September 2, 2015). "DOTC starts 'emergency' procurement of MRT-3 maintenance contract". GMA News. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  46. ^ "MRT rolling stock, signaling system maintenance begins". Department of Transportation and Communications. January 8, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2022 – via the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
  47. ^ Marasigan, Lorenz (July 27, 2017). "MRT 3 flawed from the start–Busan". BusinessMirror. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  48. ^ . CNN Philippines. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  49. ^ a b c d Regalado, Pia (May 31, 2023). "MRT's Four-Car Trains Are Coming Soon to Accommodate More Passengers". spot.ph. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  50. ^ JICAChannel02 (June 10, 2014). "(The Philippines) MEGA MANILA INFRASTRUCTURE ROADMAP (Long Ver.)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  51. ^ a b "More MRT-3 coaches on the way". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. January 18, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  52. ^ "New MRT-3 train to be launched before April | GOVPH". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. February 23, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  53. ^ Dela Paz, Chrisee (February 23, 2016). "DOTC sees launch of new MRT3 train by April". Rappler. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  54. ^ De Guzman, Kristine (April 15, 2016). . CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  55. ^ De Guzman, Kristine (April 16, 2016). . CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  56. ^ Francisco, Kevin Bruce (May 7, 2016). "New MRT Line 3 coaches begin operations today". YugaTech. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  57. ^ "Dalian to pay cost of adjustments of unused MRT3 trains —Tugade". GMA News Online. July 8, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  58. ^ Rey, Aika (August 30, 2018). "Chinese firm Dalian agrees to pay all costs to fix unused MRT3 trains". Rappler.
  59. ^ a b Talabong, Rambo (October 27, 2018). "After years of delay, DOTr begins adding Dalian trains to MRT3". Rappler. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  60. ^ a b c d e f g Procurement of MRT3 Capacity Expansion Project Lot 2: Upgrade of Ancillary Systems (PDF) (Report). 2016. (PDF) from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  61. ^ "DOTC opens bidding for P836-M MRT-3 ancillary systems". Department of Transportation and Communications. May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
  62. ^ Balinbin, Arjay L. (March 9, 2022). "MRT-3 testing four-car configuration to expand capacity". BusinessWorld. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  63. ^ Ramirez, Robertzon (January 28, 2016). "MRT-3 new trains may not run efficiently – expert". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  64. ^ Lo, Francis Christopher (May 30, 2016). MRT3 Dalian 8MLB 4-Car Train. YouTube. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  65. ^ Dela Cruz, Raymond Carl (March 11, 2022). "MRT eyes 4-car train setup after successful 'dynamic testing'". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  66. ^ a b Recuenco, Aaron (March 28, 2022). . Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  67. ^ Dela Cruz, Raymond Carl (April 18, 2022). "MRT-3 rolls out another 4-car train after Holy Week shutdown". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  68. ^ a b c Manahan, Job (March 29, 2022). "MRT-3 eyes 4-car configuration for all trains next year: official". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  69. ^ a b c Mercurio, Richmond (January 12, 2020). "MRT-3 rail replacement complete by 2021". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  70. ^ Dela Paz, Chrisee J. V. (December 17, 2014). "Sumitomo, Sobrepeña to tap ally Metro Pacific for MRT-3 upgrade". BusinessWorld. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  71. ^ Desiderio, Louella (June 4, 2017). "SMC interested in MRT-3 rehab". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  72. ^ . CNN Philippines. November 25, 2017 [November 17, 2017]. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  73. ^ Layug, Margaret Claire (November 29, 2017). "DOTr: Sumitomo, Mitsubishi back as MRT3 maintenance providers starting 2018". GMA News. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  74. ^ Lao, Joshua (August 18, 2018). . Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  75. ^ a b Subingsubing, Krixia (December 29, 2018). "Sumitomo back on track with MRT 3". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  76. ^ Subingsubing, Krixia (January 3, 2019). "3-year MRT 3 rehab to start this month". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  77. ^ Mendez, Christina (March 7, 2019). "'Reenacted budget to affect MRT-3 rehab, subway project'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  78. ^ Orellana, Faye (March 6, 2019). "MRT-3 rehab kickoff moved to May". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  79. ^ a b c d "MHIENG Completes Rehabilitation of Manila's MRT-3 Rail Line". Tokyo: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  80. ^ Marquez, Consuelo (November 8, 2018). "PH, Japan sign loan agreement for 26-month MRT-3 rehab". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  81. ^ Amojelar, Darwin (December 31, 2018). "Sumitomo asked to start MRT 3 rehabilitation in '19". Manila Standard. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  82. ^ Rita, Joviland (June 24, 2020). "Limited work force, experts affected MRT3 rehab work during ECQ –exec". GMA News. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  83. ^ Amojelar, Darwin G. (July 11, 2021). "MRT 3 rehabilitation completed December". Manila Standard. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  84. ^ Galvez, Daphne (March 1, 2022). "MRT 3 rehabilitation is finished, says Tugade". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  85. ^ Panti, Llanesca T. (March 22, 2022). "Duterte announces free MRT-3 rides from March 28 to April 30 amid rehab work completion". GMA News. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  86. ^ Locus, Sundy (June 21, 2022). "Libreng Sakay of PUVs, MRT-3 to end on June 30, 2022". GMA News. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  87. ^ Domingo, Ronnel W. (May 27, 2023). "Japan lends P6.9B to bankroll MRT-3 rehab". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  88. ^ Abadilla, Emmie V. (May 31, 2023). "DOTR, Sumitomo sign P7.38-B MRT-3 extended rehab contract". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  89. ^ "Second MRT-3 rehab to enable capacity boost to 500,000 passengers per day". BusinessWorld Online. May 31, 2023.
  90. ^ Satre, Gary L. (June 1998). (PDF). Japan Railway and Transport Review. 16: 33–37. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 5, 2006. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  91. ^ ALAMIN: Narito ang listahan ng mga priority passengers na maaaring makasakay sa priority area na unang bagon o train car ng mga tren ng MRT-3. Facebook. DOTr MRT-3. February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  92. ^ Cortez, Joseph (August 22, 2020). . Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  93. ^ Lapeña, Carmela G. (February 11, 2012). "Bike to work? Why not? MRT now allows folding bikes". GMA News Online. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  94. ^ "Platform doors installed in MRT station". ABS-CBN News. June 26, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  95. ^ a b Nicholls, AJ; Bacungan, VJ (November 15, 2017). . CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  96. ^ Ulanday, Abelardo S. (December 9, 2001). "The best things in life are Libre". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 14, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  97. ^ World Bank (December 2, 2004). (PDF). p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2006. Retrieved August 18, 2014. (Prepared by Halcrow Group Limited).
  98. ^ "Months ago, experts warned line was unsafe". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
    • Ayalin, Adrian (August 15, 2013). "MRT-3: A history of accidents". Primetime on ANC. ABS-CBN News Channel.
  99. ^ Hegina, Aries Joseph (August 14, 2014). "Abaya: MRT3 is safe, riding it 'a personal decision'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  100. ^ Cupin, Bea (August 14, 2014). "Abaya admits MRT-3 upgrade overdue". Rappler. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  101. ^ Manabat, Johnson (December 18, 2013). "MRT-3 enforces new crowd control scheme". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  102. ^ Camus, Miguel R. (May 6, 2014). "All is set for MRT-3 express train run". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  103. ^ Camus, Miguel R. (December 20, 2013). "MRT-3 boss defends 'crowd control' amid jeering riders". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  104. ^ a b . Metro Rail Transit Line 3. Metro Rail Transit Corporation. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  105. ^ Antiporda, Jefferson (August 10, 2005). . The Manila Times. Manila Times Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 19, 2006. Retrieved May 19, 2006.
  106. ^ a b Manabat, Jacque (May 13, 2021). "MRT management looking for witnesses after train vandalism". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  107. ^ Fe, Kaye (May 19, 2021). "MRT-3 beefs up security following May 12 vandalism incident". Eagle News. Eagle Broadcasting Corporation. from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  108. ^ . CNN Philippines. September 8, 2023. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  109. ^ Del Puerto, Luige A.; Quismundo, Tarra V. (November 13, 2004). . Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 4, 2005. Retrieved May 19, 2006.
  110. ^ . CNN Philippines. July 13, 2021. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  111. ^ a b c . DOTr. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  112. ^ Dela Cruz, Raymond Carl (June 25, 2020). "4 Metro Manila rail lines transport 2.8M passengers since June 1". Philippine News Agency. from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  113. ^ "MRT-3 serves record 157K passengers since Covid lockdown". www.pna.gov.ph. January 19, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  114. ^ a b c Fernandez, Daniza (January 24, 2022). "45.6 million commuters ride MRT-3 in 2021". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  115. ^ Cayabyab, Marc Jayson (June 8, 2022). "No unloading incidents as ridership peaks at MRT". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  116. ^ Libreng Sakay Update. Facebook. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  117. ^ Sarao, Zacarian (January 5, 2023). "MRT-3 ridership breaches 98 million mark in 2022". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  118. ^ "MRT-3, LRT-2 offer free rides to women on March 8". GMA News Online. March 7, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  119. ^ "MRT, LRT 1 and 2 to offer free rides on June 12". ABS-CBN News. June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  120. ^ "MRT3 to offer free rides on Independence Day". GMA News Online. June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  121. ^ Sabillo, Kristine Angeli (December 28, 2013). "MRT, LRT offer free rides on Rizal Day". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  122. ^ Rey, Aika (June 27, 2019). "Free LRT 2, MRT, PNR rides for students starting July 1". Rappler. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  123. ^ Laurel, Drei (June 28, 2019). "Students must register for free MRT-3, LRT-2, and PNR rides". Top Gear Philippines. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  124. ^ Mercado, Neil Arwin (July 1, 2022). "Marcos extends free EDSA Carousel bus rides, OKs free train rides for students". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  125. ^ Rosales, Elijah Felice (July 14, 2022). "Free Train Rides For Students Limited To LRT-2". One News. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  126. ^ "MRT-3 ready for reopening of classes, expects 1,400 students daily". Politiko Metro Manila. August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  127. ^ Araneta, Sandy (October 21, 2005). "DOTC: MRT-3 fare could increase by P10 in 2006". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved May 19, 2006.
  128. ^ Casanova, Sheryll B. (November 12, 2003). . The Manila Times. Manila Times Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on January 5, 2004. Retrieved May 18, 2006.
  129. ^ Amojelar, Darwin G. (September 21, 2012). . TV5 News and Information. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  130. ^ Agcaoili, Lawrence (July 20, 2014). "DOTC earmarks P25M to buy additional MRT-3 tickets". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  131. ^ . The Manila Times. Manila Times Publishing Corporation. November 16, 2005. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2006.
  132. ^ Reyes, Mary Ann Ll. (November 17, 2006). "Globe bares G-Pass ticketing for MRT3". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  133. ^ Reyes, Mary Ann Ll. (March 31, 2007). "Smart ties up with MetroPass on MRT-3". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  134. ^ Amojelar, Darwin G. (January 29, 2013). . TV5 News and Information. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  135. ^ "MRT-3 passengers start using beep cards". GMA News Online. October 3, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  136. ^ Manabat, Jacque (July 19, 2022). "Depleted supply of Beep cards anticipated due to global chip shortage". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  137. ^ Rosales, Elijah Felice (August 20, 2022). "DOTr warns of 'beep' card shortage". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  138. ^ a b Serfino, Dennis C. (May 1, 2003). "Metro Star still can't get enough revenue". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved April 23, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
  139. ^ . dotc.gov.ph. Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  140. ^ a b Tuazon, Brenda P. (July 16, 2000). . Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  141. ^ a b Mandri-Perrott, Cledan (2000). Private Sector Participation in Light Rail-Light Metro Transit Initiatives. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. p. 94. ISBN 0-8213-8085-0.
  142. ^ Recuenco, Aaron (April 4, 2022). . Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  143. ^ a b Diokno, Benjamin E. (December 17, 2013). "Folly of government subsidy". BusinessWorld. BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  144. ^ Valderrama, Tita C. (February 9, 2014). "Messed up mass transport system". The Manila Times. Manila Times Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  145. ^ Agcaoili, Lawrence (December 14, 2013). "DOTC says MRT, LRT fare hike to yield P2-B add'l revenues". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
April 19, 2024
line, metro, manila, this, article, contain, excessive, amount, intricate, detail, that, interest, only, particular, audience, please, help, spinning, relocating, relevant, information, removing, excessive, detail, that, against, wikipedia, inclusion, policy, . This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia s inclusion policy May 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 also known as the MRT Line 3 MRT 3 or Metrostar Express is a light rapid transit system line of Metro Manila the Philippines MRT Line 3An MRTC 3000 class train passing the Ortigas Interchange in October 2023OverviewNative nameFilipino Ikatlong Linya ng Sistema ng Kalakhang Riles Panlulan ng MaynilaStatusOperationalOwnerMetro Rail Transit CorporationLine number3LocaleMetro Manila PhilippinesTerminiNorth AvenueTaft AvenueStations13 1 WebsiteDOTr MRT3ServiceTypeLight rapid transitSystemManila Metro Rail Transit SystemServices1 1 Operator s Department of TransportationDepot s North AvenueRolling stockMRTC 3000 class 1 MRTC 3100 class 1 Daily ridership357 198 2023 2 Ridership129 030 158 2023 2 HistoryOpenedDecember 15 1999 24 years ago 1999 12 15 CompletedJuly 20 2000 23 years ago 2000 07 20 TechnicalLine length16 9 km 10 5 mi Number of tracksDouble trackCharacterGrade separatedTrack gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in standard gaugeLoading gauge3 730 mm 2 600 mm 12 ft 3 in 8 ft 6 in 3 Minimum radiusMainline 370 m 1 210 ft Depot 25 m 82 ft Electrification750 V DC overhead linesOperating speed60 km h 37 mph SignallingAlstom CITYFLO 250 fixed block 4 5 Maximum inclineMainline 4 Depot spur line 5 6 Average inter station distance1 28 km 0 80 mi Route mapLegend Quirino Highway MMS Baclaran North Avenue 7 San Jose Del Monte North Avenue Depot Quezon Avenue Lerma University Avenue 8 FTI NAIA Terminal 3 MMS GMA Kamuning Recto Antipolo Araneta Center Cubao Santolan Annapolis Quezon CityMandaluyong Ortigas 4 Shaw Boulevard Boni Pasig River MandaluyongMakati Guadalupe 5 EDSA Sampaguita Buendia Ayala Magallanes Valenzuela Gov Pascual Tutuban FTI Alabang Calamba South Luzon Expressway MakatiPasay Taft Avenue Roosevelt Baclaran Niog This diagram viewtalkedit Originally referred to as the Blue Line MRT Line 3 was reclassified as the Yellow Line in 2012 The line runs in an orbital north to south route following the alignment of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue EDSA Although it has some characteristics of light rail such as the type of a tram like rolling stock used it is more akin to a rapid transit system owing to its total grade separation and high passenger throughput 7 Envisioned in the 1970s and 1980s as part of various feasibility studies the 13 station 16 9 kilometer 10 5 mi line was the second rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila when it started full operations in 2000 under a 25 year concession agreement between its private owners and the Philippine government s Department of Transportation DOTr The line is owned by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation MRTC a private company operating in partnership with the DOTr under a Build Lease Transfer agreement Serving close to 550 000 passengers on a daily basis when MRTC s maintenance provider Sumitomo Corporation of Japan was handling the maintenance of the system the line is the busiest among Metro Manila s three rapid transit lines built with essential standards such as barrier free access and the use of contact less card tickets to better facilitate passenger access Total ridership significantly exceeds its built maximum capacity of 350 000 passengers a day with various solutions being proposed or implemented to alleviate chronic congestion in addition to the procurement of new rolling stock Since 2006 the private owners of the system had offered various capacity expansion proposals to the DOTC In 2014 after the DOTC s handling of the line s maintenance for two years amid questions about the line s structural integrity owing to the poor maintenance and the pronouncements that the system in general was safe experts from MTR HK were commissioned to review the system MTR HK made the opinion that the rail system was compromised due to the DOTC s poor maintenance 8 9 10 In response to this the line underwent a comprehensive rehabilitation program funded by Japan s official development assistance from 2019 to 2021 This resulted in upgraded facilities railway tracks trains and other systems 11 12 13 The line is integrated with the public transit system in Metro Manila where passengers also take various forms of road based public transport such as buses to and from a station to reach their intended destination Although the line is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and travel time along EDSA the transportation system has only been partially successful due to the DOTC s inaction on the private sector s proposals to expand the capacity of the system to take up to 1 1 million passengers a day Expanding the network s capacity to accommodate the rising number of passengers is currently set on tackling this problem Contents 1 Route 1 1 Stations 1 2 Operations 2 History 2 1 Early planning 2 2 Development and early delays 2 3 Construction and opening 2 4 Overcrowding and later decline 2 5 Capacity expansion 2 6 Rehabilitation 3 Station facilities amenities and services 3 1 Station layout and accessibility 3 2 Shops and services 4 Safety and security 5 Ridership 5 1 Statistics 6 Fares and ticketing 6 1 Types of tickets 6 1 1 Magnetic tickets 1999 2015 6 1 2 Beep cards 2015 present 6 2 Fare adjustment 7 Rolling stock 7 1 Depot 8 Other infrastructure 8 1 Signalling 8 2 Tracks 9 Plans and proposals 9 1 Privatization 9 2 Southern and western extension 9 3 Line merge with LRT Line 1 9 3 1 Transfer of operations from MRTC to LRTA 9 4 North Triangle Common Station 10 Incidents 11 Notes 12 References 13 External linksRoute edit nbsp A Class 3000 train approaching Ayala station The lines run along the alignment of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue from North Avenue in Quezon City to the intersection of EDSA and Taft Avenue in Pasay The rails are mostly elevated and erected either over or along the roads covered with cut and underground sections between Buendia and Ayala stations the only underground stations on the line The rail line serves the cities that Circumferential Road 4 Epifanio de los Santos Avenue passes through Pasay Makati Mandaluyong San Juan and Quezon City The line crosses Osmena Highway and South Luzon Expressway SLEX at Magallanes Interchange in Makati In the initial stages of the construction of the transit line a proposal was formulated for a supplementary rail extension that would traverse from Buendia to Gil Puyat stations situated between Ayala and Buendia stations The sole existing trace of this discontinued proposal is an underground tunnel extending from Buendia to Ayala stations taking a rightward trajectory towards Ayala Avenue The abandonment of the planned spur line can be attributed to the repercussions of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 leading to the neglect of the designated spur line area subsequent to the commencement of the line s operations in 1999 citation needed Despite sporadic references there is presently no intention to reassess or reinstate this abandoned initiative Stations edit The line has 13 stations along its 16 9 kilometer 10 5 mi route 1 spaced on average around 1 3 kilometers 0 81 mi apart 1 The southern terminus of the line is Taft Avenue at Pasay Rotonda the intersection between Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and Taft Avenue while the northern terminus is the North Avenue along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Barangay Bagong Pag asa Quezon City Three stations serve as connecting stations with the lines operated by the Light Rail Manila Corporation LRMC Light Rail Transit Authority LRTA and Philippine National Railways PNR The Magallanes station is near PNR s EDSA station while Araneta Center Cubao is indirectly connected to the LRT Line 2 station of the same and Taft Avenue is connected via a covered walkway to the LRT Line 1 EDSA station No stations are connected to other rapid transit lines within the paid areas though that is set to change when the North Triangle Common Station which has interchanges to LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 7 opens in 2023 There are plans to temporarily close North Avenue to facilitate the construction of the North Triangle Common Station This is to minimize the operational and safety risks to the overhead catenary wires above the turn back siding north of the North Avenue station Should this closure proposal be approved Quezon Avenue will be the temporary terminus of the line The closure will take place for 30 days 14 List of stations Name Distance km Connections Location Betweenstations Total North Triangle Interchange with nbsp Manila LRT nbsp Interchange with nbsp Manila MRT 7 nbsp Manila MRT MMS North Avenue Quezon City North Avenue 0 000 nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 North Avenue nbsp Bus routes 18 33 64 SM North EDSA Quezon Avenue 1 200 1 200 nbsp Manila MRT MMS Quezon Avenue nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Quezon Avenue nbsp Bus routes 6 7 17 34 49 Eton Centris GMA Kamuning 1 000 2 200 nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Kamuning Araneta Center Cubao 1 900 4 100 nbsp Manila LRT nbsp Araneta Center Cubao nbsp Bus routes 3 Gateway Mall 51 53 61 Farmers Plaza Santolan Annapolis 1 500 5 600 nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Santolan Ortigas 2 300 7 900 nbsp Manila MRT 4 EDSA nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Ortigas nbsp Bus routes 2 Robinsons Galleria Mandaluyong Shaw Boulevard 0 800 8 700 none Boni 1 000 9 700 none Guadalupe 0 800 10 500 nbsp Manila MRT 5 Guadalupe nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Guadalupe nbsp Pasig River Ferry Service nbsp Guadalupe Ferry Station Makati Buendia 2 000 12 500 nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Buendia Ayala 0 950 13 450 nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Ayala nbsp BGC Bus nbsp EX01 NX01 WX01 L01 NR01 AX01 BA01 WE01 EDSA Ayala nbsp Bus routes 10 11 12 38 40 45 46 59 One Ayala 62 63 EDSA Ayala Magallanes 1 200 14 650 nbsp PNR nbsp EDSA nbsp Bus routes 10 11 12 38 40 45 46 59 Magallanes Interchange Taft Avenue 2 050 16 700 nbsp Manila LRT nbsp EDSA nbsp EDSA Carousel 1 Tramo 1 Taft Avenue Pasay Stations lines and or other transport connections in italics are either under construction proposed unopened or have been closed Operations edit The line is open from 4 40 a m PHT UTC 8 until 10 10 p m on a daily basis 15 It operates almost every day of the year unless otherwise announced Special schedules are announced via the public address system in every station and also in newspapers and other mass media During Holy Week a public holiday in the Philippines the line is closed for annual maintenance owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro leaving the EDSA Carousel as an alternative mode of transport 16 Normal operation resumes after Easter Sunday 17 During the Christmas and year end holidays the operating hours of the line are shortened due to the low ridership of the line during the holidays 18 It has experimented with extended opening hours the first of which included 24 hour operations beginning on June 1 2009 primarily aimed at serving call center agents and other workers in the business process outsourcing sector 19 Citing low ridership figures and financial losses this was suspended after two days and operations were instead extended from 5 00 a m to 1 00 am 20 Operations subsequently returned to the former schedule 5 30 a m until 11 00 p m on weekdays and 5 30 a m until 10 00 pm during weekends and holidays by April 2010 but services were again extended starting March 10 2014 with trains running on a trial basis from 4 30 am to 11 30 pm in anticipation of major traffic buildup in light of several major road projects beginning in 2014 21 History editEarly planning edit nbsp A northbound train leaving Shaw Boulevard station nbsp Taft Avenue station platform area In 1973 the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency OTCA predecessor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency presented a plan to construct five subway lines in Metro Manila The study was known as the Urban Transport Study in the Manila Metropolitan Area One of the five lines Line 3 was planned as a 24 3 kilometer 15 1 mi line along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue EDSA the region s busiest road corridor The plan would have resolved the traffic problems of Metro Manila and would have taken 15 years to complete 22 Another study by JICA was presented in 1976 which included the five lines proposed in 1973 The study recommended heavy rail due to the rising population 22 During the construction of the first line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System in the early 1980s Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zurich designed a comprehensive plan for metro service in Metro Manila The plan still used as the basis for planning new metro lines consisted of a 150 kilometer 93 mi network of rapid transit lines spanning all major corridors within 20 years 23 The study integrated the previous 1973 OTCA study the 1976 JICA study and the 1977 Freeman Fox and Associates study which was used as the basis for the LRT Line 1 22 Development and early delays edit The project was restarted as a light rail project in 1989 originally known as the LRT 3 project It was to be bid out as a build operate transfer project with the Hong Kong based EDSA LRT Corporation winning the public bidding for the line s construction in 1991 during the term of President Corazon Aquino 24 However construction could not commence with the project stalled as the Philippine government conducted several investigations into alleged irregularities with the project s contract 25 In 1995 the Supreme Court upheld the regularity of the project which paved the way for construction to finally begin during the term of President Fidel V Ramos 26 A consortium of local companies led by Fil Estate Management was later joined by Ayala Land and 5 others later formed the Metro Rail Transit Corporation MRTC in June 1995 and took over the EDSA LRT Corporation 24 Construction and opening edit nbsp A train at Magallanes station in 2001 The MRTC was subsequently awarded a Build Lease Transfer contract by the DOTC which meant that the latter would possess ownership of the system after the 25 year concession period Meanwhile the DOTC would assume all administrative functions such as the regulation of fares and operations leaving the MRTC responsibility over construction and maintenance of the system as well as the procurement of spare parts for trains MRTC would later transfer the responsibility of maintaining the system to the DOTC in November 2010 In exchange the DOTC would pay the MRTC monthly fees for a certain number of years to reimburse any incurred costs 1 Construction began on October 15 1996 with a BLT agreement signed between the Philippine government and the MRTC 24 An amended turnkey agreement was later signed on September 16 1997 with Sumitomo Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sumitomo and Mitsubishi subcontracted EEI Corporation and AsiaKonstrukt for the civil works 27 A separate agreement was signed with CKD Dopravni Systemy CKD Tatra now part of Siemens AG the leading builder of trams and light rail vehicles for the Eastern Bloc on rolling stock MRTC also retained the services of ICF Kaiser Engineers and Constructors to provide program management and technical oversight of the services for the design construction management and commissioning 1 MRTC would later sign a maintenance agreement with Sumitomo and Mitsubishi for the maintenance of the line on December 10 of the same year 28 During construction the MRTC oversaw the design construction equipping testing and commissioning while the DOTC oversaw technical supervision of the project activities covered by the BLT contract between the DOTC and MRTC The DOTC also sought the services of SYSTRA a French consultant firm with regards to the technical competence experience and track record in the construction and operations 1 On December 15 1999 the initial section from North Avenue to Buendia was inaugurated by President Joseph Estrada 29 with all remaining stations opening on July 20 2000 a little over a month past the original deadline due to DOTC s inclusion of additional work orders such as the Tramo overpass in Pasay leading to Ninoy Aquino International Airport 30 However ridership was initially far below expectations when the line was still partially open with passengers complaining of the tickets steep price and the general lack of connectivity of the stations with other modes of public transportation 31 Passengers complaints of high ticket prices pointed to the maximum fare of 34 which at the time was significantly higher than a comparable journey on those lines operated by the LRTA and the PNR or a similar bus ride along EDSA Although the MRTC projected 300 000 400 000 passengers riding the system daily in the first month of operation the system saw a ridership of only 40 000 passengers daily the ridership improved quickly however when passengers experienced significantly faster and convenient travel along EDSA which experience soon spread by word of mouth 32 The system was also initially criticized as a white elephant comparing it to the Manila Light Rail Transit System and the Metro Manila Skyway 33 To alleviate passenger complaints the MRTC later reduced passenger fares to 15 as per the request of then President Joseph Estrada and a subsequent government subsidy Overcrowding and later decline edit History and list of maintenance providers 34 Firm From Until nbsp Sumitomo CorporationMitsubishi Heavy Industries January 1 2000 October 19 2012 nbsp PH Trams Comm Builders amp Technology October 20 2012 September 3 2013 nbsp Autre Porte Technique Global Inc September 4 2013 July 4 2015 nbsp nbsp Schunk Bahn und IndustrietechnikComm Builders amp Technology July 5 2015 January 7 2016 nbsp nbsp Busan Universal Rail Inc January 8 2016 November 5 2017 nbsp Department of TransportationMaintenance Transition Team November 6 2017 April 30 2019 nbsp Sumitomo CorporationMitsubishi Heavy Industries May 1 2019 present MRTC projected a capacity breach in the system by 2002 By 2004 the line had the highest ridership of the three lines with 400 000 passengers daily By early 2012 the system was carrying around 550 000 to 600 000 commuters during weekdays and was often badly overcrowded during peak times of access during the day and night The line operated beyond its original designed capacity from 2004 to 2019 and since 2022 35 In 2011 Sumitomo through TES Philippines issued a warning about the overcrowding situation of the line in which a failure to immediately upgrade the line s trains and systems would result in damage to the trains and systems 36 By October 2012 DOTC removed Sumitomo as the maintenance provider of the line due to the high costs of the contract With the entry of the joint venture of Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corporation PH Trams and Comm Builders amp Technology Philippines Corporation CB amp T as the maintenance provider in 2012 37 and APT Global in 2013 38 it marked the start of the deterioration of the line due to poor maintenance by the aforementioned maintenance providers that DOTC appointed In 2014 there were reported daily incidents and disruptions and a derailment of one train coach on August 13 of that year 39 The government of Benigno Aquino III had been planning to buy the line from the MRT Corporation MRTC the private concessionaire that built the line and then bid it out to private bidders The Aquino government accused the MRTC of neglecting and not improving the services of the line under its watch 40 In February 2016 the Philippine Senate released a report stating that DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya and other DOTC officials may have violated the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in relation to questionable contracts with the subsequent maintenance providers 41 In a Senate report where the line s condition was found to be in poor maintenance as per studies made by MTR HK DOTC officials were reported to be involved in graft in relation to questionable contracts especially those for the maintenance of the line 42 The DOTC tried to bid out a three year maintenance contract in 2014 and 2015 but both biddings failed because no bidders submitted a bid 43 44 Through a negotiated procurement 45 the Busan joint venture a joint venture of Busan Transportation Corporation Edison Development amp Construction Tramat Mercantile Inc TMICorp Inc and Castan Corporation was awarded a three year maintenance contract by the DOTC The contract started in January 2016 and was slated to end by January 2019 46 In 2017 DOTC s succeeding agency the Department of Transportation DOTr attributed the operation s disruptions of the rail system to the Busan joint venture later known as Busan Universal Rail Inc BURI with DOTr Transport Undersecretary for Rails Cesar Chavez noting 98 service interruptions and 833 passenger unloadings or average of twice daily as well as train derailments in April June 2017 34 BURI insisted that the disruptions the railway line was experiencing is due to inherent design and quality concerns and not to poor maintenance or normal tear or wear It said that glitches started occurring since 2000 a claim that MRTC dismissed when Sumitomo was maintaining the system 47 The maintenance contract was terminated on November 6 2017 48 Capacity expansion edit See also MRTC 3100 class Controversies nbsp The trains procured under the capacity expansion project in November 2016 nbsp Part of the capacity expansion is the conversion of three car trains to four car trains with increased capacity 49 Due to the high ridership of the line a proposal under study by the DOTC and NEDA proposed to double the current capacity by acquiring additional light rail vehicles to accommodate over 520 000 passengers a day 50 In January 2014 the DOTC entered into a contract with CNR Dalian for the procurement of 48 light rail vehicles The trains commonly referred to as the Dalian trains were delivered in batches from 2015 to 2017 The introduction of the new trains would have allowed the line to handle over 800 000 passengers 51 The first train was scheduled to be in revenue service before April 2016 52 53 but delays in its 5 000 kilometer 3 100 mi test run had delayed its deployment for revenue service 54 55 Nevertheless the trains entered revenue service on May 7 2016 56 However the trains became a subject of controversy citing its incompatibility with the signalling system and weight limits on tracks Later it was revealed that several adjustments to the Dalian trains are required prior to revenue run deployment 57 The train manufacturer CRRC Dalian has agreed to amend the train specifications to match the contract terms at no cost and will do so in the soonest possible time 58 Due to the trains undergoing the said adjustments they were slowly introduced into regular operations which led to the start of the gradual deployment on October 27 2018 59 Aside from the procurement of the new trains the capacity expansion project included the upgrading of the ancillary systems such as the power supply overhead lines the extension of the pocket track near Taft Avenue station and the modification of the turn back siding north of the North Avenue station 60 61 The original plan also included the upgrading of the signalling system 60 These upgrades except for the upgrades to the Taft Avenue pocket track and the North Avenue turn back siding would only be realized as part of the line s 2019 2021 rehabilitation Plans were also laid to increase the number of cars in each train set from the current 3 car configuration to 4 car configuration which also increases the number of passengers being accommodated for each trip from 1 182 passengers to 1 576 passengers for each train set 62 The first mention of this plan was in 2013 during the procurement of the new trains 6 However in January 2016 a railway expert warned that the power supply at that time was not capable of handling four car train operations 63 Despite this four car operations were first tested in a Dalian train in May 2016 64 After the rehabilitation of the line which included the upgrading of the power supply a dynamic test run for the use of four car trains for regular operations was conducted in March 2022 65 Regular four car operations began in the same month initially deploying two trains for daily operations subsequently increased to four 66 67 Although full conversion was initially planned to be achieved by 2023 68 all trains reverted to the existing 3 car configuration a few months after the months long free rides ended Rehabilitation edit nbsp A vital aspect of the rehabilitation of the line was the replacement of worn out rails 69 As early as 2011 there were proposals to rehabilitate the line An unsolicited proposal were made by Metro Pacific Investments in 2011 at a cost of 25 1 billion Another proposal was presented in 2014 at a cost of 23 3 billion 70 In 2017 in the wake of various daily service interruptions in the line San Miguel Corporation expressed its interest to rehabilitate the line 71 That same year Metro Pacific submitted another 20 billion proposal to rehabilitate operate and maintain the line 72 These proposals however would be rejected by the government Following the termination of the maintenance contract with Busan Universal Rail Inc the DOTr announced on November 29 2017 that a government to government agreement between the Philippines and Japan would be signed by the end of that year paving the way for Sumitomo Corporation to return as the maintenance provider of the line The three year contract would cover the rehabilitation and maintenance of the line 73 The 22 billion project partly funded by a 18 billion loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency 11 was approved by the Investment Coordination Committee ICC board of the National Economic and Development Authority NEDA on August 17 2018 74 It intended to rehabilitate and upgrade the existing systems and trains for the line to return to its original high grade design The project was part of the Build Build Build infrastructure program On November 8 2018 the loan agreement for the project was signed 11 while the rehabilitation and maintenance contract was signed on December 28 75 The project was initially slated to start by January 2019 76 but the implementation of a re enacted government budget for 2019 and finalization of documents caused repeated delays on when the project could start 77 78 which only started on May 1 2019 12 Under the 43 month contract which was undertaken by Sumitomo Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering part of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries group 79 and TES Philippines rehabilitation works were to be done within 26 months 80 It covers the overhaul of all MRTC Class 3000 vehicles a repairs on the escalators and elevators rail replacement upgrades on the signalling and communication systems power supply overhead systems maintenance and station equipment 81 After the rehabilitation a 17 month maintenance contract will be undertaken by the Japanese firms 79 The contract was originally slated to end by December 2022 or 43 months after the start of the rehabilitation 75 but was moved to May 31 2023 49 79 The rehabilitation was originally scheduled to be completed by July 2021 However delays brought by the COVID 19 pandemic 82 delayed its completion to December 2021 83 On February 28 2022 Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced that the rehabilitation was finished in December 2021 84 On March 22 President Rodrigo Duterte and Secretary Tugade inaugurated the newly rehabilitated line at a completion ceremony held at Shaw Boulevard station 13 79 As part of its completion free rides were offered for three months 85 86 On May 26 2023 a 6 9 billion loan was signed by the governments of Japan and the Philippines for the second phase of the project covering the line s continued maintenance and its connection to the North Triangle Common Station with the lines that would interchange at that station 87 Four days later DOTr and Sumitomo signed a contract to extend the latter s maintenance in the railway line until July 2025 88 Among the projects included under the new contract is the conversion of the trains used on the line from the present 3 railcars to 4 railcars following the previous test runs for the 4 car trains last 2022 49 and the expansion of the Taft Avenue pocket track to cater 4 car trains The program aims to increase the line s ridership capacity to 500 000 passengers a day 49 89 Station facilities amenities and services edit nbsp Buendia station one of the stations with an island platform nbsp Bridge linking the Taft Avenue station to the nearby EDSA LRT station With the exception of Buendia and Ayala stations and the platform level of Taft Avenue and Boni stations all stations are situated above ground taking advantage of EDSA s topology 90 Station layout and accessibility edit The stations have a standard layout with a concourse level and a platform level 60 The concourse is usually above the platform with stairs escalators and elevators leading down to the platform level Station concourses contain ticket booths which is separated from the platform level by fare gates 24 Some stations such as Araneta Center Cubao are connected at concourse level to nearby buildings such as shopping malls for easier accessibility Most stations are also barrier free inside and outside the station and trains have spaces for passengers using wheelchairs 24 Stations either have island platforms such as Taft Avenue Buendia Boni Avenue and Shaw Boulevard stations and side platforms such as from Magallanes station to Ayala stations Guadalupe and from Ortigas to North Avenue stations Due to the very high patronage of the line before the pandemic part of the platform corresponding to the first car of the train is cordoned off for the use of senior citizens pregnant women children who are below 4 feet 1 2 m and age seven and disabled passengers Since 2021 the first two doors of the first car of the train has been allotted as a priority section for the aforementioned passengers 91 The station platforms have a standard length of 130 meters 426 ft 6 in 60 designed to accommodate trains with four cars 68 The stations are also designed to occupy the entire span of EDSA allowing passengers to safely cross between one end of the road and the other 24 The line has a total of 46 escalators and 34 elevators across all 13 stations Prior to the rehabilitation only few escalators and elevators were operational The escalators and elevators were rehabilitated as part of the rehabilitation of the line The project started in June 2019 and was completed on August 20 2020 92 In February 2012 the line allowed folding bicycles to be brought into trains provided that the wheels do not exceed more than 20 inches 51 cm in diameter 93 Platform screen doors were also planned for each station with the plans for the platform doors were laid out as early as 2013 94 however these plans were delayed until it was reconsidered in 2017 95 Shops and services edit Inside the concourse of all stations are stalls or shops where people can buy food or drinks Stalls vary by station and some have fast food stalls The number of stalls also varies by station and stations tend to have a wide variety especially in stations such as Ayala and Shaw Boulevard Stations such as Taft Avenue and North Avenue are connected to or are near shopping malls and or other large shopping areas where commuters are offered more shopping varieties Since November 19 2001 in cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer passengers have been offered copies of the Inquirer Libre a free tabloid size Tagalog version of the Inquirer which is available at all stations 96 In 2014 Pilipino Mirror also started distributing free tabloid newspapers Safety and security editThe line s safety was affirmed in a 2004 World Bank paper prepared by Halcrow describing the overall state of metro rail transit operations in Manila as being good 97 However since the DOTr took over maintenance of the train system in 2012 the safety and reliability of the system has been questioned with experts calling it an accident waiting to happen While several incidents and accidents were reported between 2012 and 2014 they did not deter commuters from using the system 98 The Philippine government meanwhile continues to assert that the system is safe overall despite those incidents and accidents 99 Although the line operated significantly above its designed capacity of between 360 000 and 380 000 passengers per day from 2004 10 to 2019 and government officials have admitted that capacity and system upgrades are overdue 100 although the DOTr has never acted on the numerous capacity expansion proposals of the private owners In the absence of major investment in improving system safety and reliability DOTr has resorted to experimenting with and implementing other solutions to reduce strain on the system including crowd management on station platforms 101 and the proposed implementation of peak hour express train service 102 However some of these solutions such as platform crowd management are unpopular with passengers 103 For safety and security reasons persons who are visibly intoxicated insane and or under the influence of controlled substances persons carrying flammable materials and or explosives and persons carrying bulky objects or items over 1 5 meters 4 9 ft tall and or wide are prohibited from entering the line 104 Products in tin cans are also prohibited on board citing the possibility of home made bombs being concealed inside the cans 105 In late 2000 and early 2001 in response to the Rizal Day bombings and the September 11 attacks security was increased Following a vandalism incident in May 2021 106 the number of security personnel deployed across all stations was increased and a patrol car was deployed for added security 107 After a bomb threat incident on September 8 2023 DOTr formed an inter agency task force to enhance security across all transportation sectors 108 Units of the Philippine National Police 109 and security police provided by private companies can be found in all stations All stations have a head guard Some stations may also have a deployed K9 bomb sniffing dog The line also employs the use of closed circuit television inside all stations to monitor suspicious activities Pets have been allowed to ride since July 12 2021 but pets must be placed inside a carrier bag before boarding a train 110 Ridership editThe original designed ridership of the line is 350 000 yet as the years passed the number doubled from 450 000 daily passengers in 2006 2007 to 490 000 passengers in 2008 and up to 500 000 passengers from 2010 to 2012 with record numbers reaching as high as 620 000 from 2012 to 2013 before declining to 560 000 in 2014 35 The high ridership of the line is due to the time consumed when commuting via EDSA as well as the speed of the trains reaching up to 60 kilometers per hour 37 mph and connectivity to Metro Manila s major transport hubs railway lines and central business districts which results to a reduced commuting travel time and an increase in ridership The daily ridership of the line can reach as much as 300 000 to 500 000 passengers from 2012 to 2016 despite poor maintenance and long lines causing the government to launch bus services known as MRT Buses around its stations to serve as alternatives for 900 000 to 1 million passengers In addition to the rising daily ridership that continues to exceed the line s designed capacity and as the government continues to implement the metro line s capacity expansion project it aims to reach a ridership of 800 000 daily passengers as all of the new trains from China will be added to its current fleet 51 Ridership declined in 2015 with a daily average of 327 314 passengers which is lower than the 2014 record of 464 871 daily passengers on average The ridership increased slightly in 2016 with a daily average of 370 036 passengers and the highest recorded daily ridership of 517 929 in December of that year However ridership started to decline by 2017 due to poor maintenance and daily breakdowns Ridership continued to decline through 2018 and 2019 until a significant drop in ridership was recorded in 2020 due to capacity limitations brought by the COVID 19 pandemic serving 70 000 to 150 000 passengers daily 111 It previously served almost 40 000 passengers in June 2020 112 and 150 000 passengers in January 2021 113 Until February 2022 the line operated at a limited capacity before capacity limitations were removed by March 1 2022 Ridership slightly increased in 2021 servicing 136 935 daily passengers on average and 45 675 884 passengers throughout the same year due to the increased capacity in November 2021 114 After the completion of the rehabilitation project in 2022 the line offered free rides to commuters in three months This in turn increased the ridership of the line 115 By the end of the free rides a total of 28 624 982 passengers rode the line It also recorded a daily average of 318 055 passengers in the same period 116 By the end of the year the line carried 98 330 683 passengers its highest since the 2019 2021 rehabilitation 117 2 Statistics edit Data from the Department of Transportation DOTr 111 Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki org Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki org Key Highest recorded ridership Year Daily average change Annual ridership change Highest single day ridership 1999 b 23 057 nbsp 368 916 nbsp 39 760 December 23 1999 2000 109 449 nbsp 374 69 39 401 465 nbsp 10 580 34 296 969 December 22 2000 2001 250 728 nbsp 129 08 90 262 148 nbsp 129 08 391 187 December 14 2001 2002 282 993 nbsp 12 87 102 443 564 nbsp 13 50 417 059 July 1 2002 2003 312 043 nbsp 10 27 112 647 474 nbsp 9 96 438 809 December 19 2003 2004 338 431 nbsp 8 46 122 512 169 nbsp 8 76 452 926 December 16 2004 2005 356 673 nbsp 5 39 128 758 894 nbsp 5 10 465 203 September 7 2005 2006 374 436 nbsp 4 98 135 171 387 nbsp 4 98 488 733 December 15 2006 2007 395 806 nbsp 5 71 142 886 057 nbsp 5 71 539 813 December 21 2007 2008 413 220 nbsp 4 40 149 585 563 nbsp 4 69 527 530 October 15 2008 2009 419 728 nbsp 1 57 151 521 764 nbsp 1 29 560 637 September 15 2009 2010 424 041 nbsp 1 03 153 078 770 nbsp 1 03 552 509 October 15 2010 2011 439 906 nbsp 3 74 158 806 049 nbsp 3 74 577 015 October 14 2011 2012 481 918 nbsp 9 55 174 454 146 nbsp 9 85 622 880 August 17 2012 2013 487 696 nbsp 1 20 176 058 278 nbsp 0 92 621 913 October 25 2013 2014 464 871 nbsp 4 68 167 818 336 nbsp 4 68 614 807 February 14 2014 2015 327 314 nbsp 29 59 118 160 484 nbsp 29 59 455 164 February 25 2015 2016 370 036 nbsp 13 05 133 952 890 nbsp 13 37 517 929 December 16 2016 2017 388 233 nbsp 4 92 140 152 161 nbsp 4 63 506 001 February 10 2017 2018 289 654 nbsp 25 39 104 275 362 nbsp 25 60 390 325 January 12 2018 2019 270 794 nbsp 6 51 96 932 972 nbsp 7 04 359 447 January 25 2019 2020 121 839 nbsp 55 01 31 799 959 nbsp 67 19 324 803 January 24 2020 2021 114 136 935 nbsp 12 39 45 675 884 nbsp 43 64 223 739 December 23 2021 2022 273 141 nbsp 99 47 98 330 683 nbsp 115 28 389 784 June 17 2022 2023 357 198 nbsp 30 77 129 030 158 nbsp 31 22 450 298 August 22 2023 Fares and ticketing editThe line like all other lines in Metro Manila uses a distance based fare structure with fares ranging from 13 to 28 pesos 24 to 51 U S cents depending on the destination Commuters who ride the line are charged 13 for the first two stations 16 for 3 4 stations 20 for 5 7 stations 24 for 8 10 stations and 28 for 11 stations or the entire line Children below 1 02 meters 3 ft 4 in the height of a fare gate may ride for free Fares are free of charge every March 8 International Women s Day free rides exclusive for women 118 June 12 Independence Day 119 120 and December 30 Rizal Day on limited time slots 121 The line along with the LRT Line 2 and Philippine National Railways lines also offered free rides to students starting July 1 2019 122 but students must register to avail a student pass 123 However the free rides for students stopped in 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic as distance learning was implemented as a mode of learning during the pandemic 111 With the shift towards the return of physical face to face classes a plan to return the free rides to students by August 2022 was announced 124 however free rides for students will only be limited to the LRT Line 2 due to more losses that the government will incur as a consequence of the free rides 125 Instead the line will offer a 20 fare discount for students that wish to avail 126 Types of tickets edit nbsp The design of the single journey ticket prior to introduction of Beep card in 2015 Magnetic tickets 1999 2015 edit Two types of tickets exist a single journey one way ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination and a stored value multiple use ticket for 100 pesos The 200 peso amp 500 peso stored value tickets were issued in the past but have since been phased out The single journey ticket is valid only on the date of purchase Meanwhile the stored value ticket is valid for three months from date of first use 104 The tickets come in several incarnations these include tickets bearing the portraits of former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo 127 which have since been phased out and one bearing the logos of the DOTC and the MRTC Ticket shortages are common in 2005 the MRTC was forced to recycle tickets bearing Estrada s portrait to address critical ticket shortages even resorting to borrowing stored value tickets from the LRTA 128 and even cutting unusable tickets in half for use as manual passes Shortages were also reported in 2012 129 and the DOTC was working on procuring additional tickets in 2014 130 Because of the ticket shortages it had become common practice for regular passengers to purchase several stored value tickets at a time though ticket shortages still persist 131 Although it has partnered with private telecommunications companies in experimenting with RFID technology as an alternative ticketing system in the past 132 133 these were phased out in 2009 134 Beep cards 2015 present edit Main article Beep smart card Currently inter operable beep cards with similar to the previous single journey and stored value ticket types are now issued along with the deployment of brand new ticketing machines that replaced the barely used ticketing machines that has been in place since the line s inauguration The beep tap and go tickets loadable up to 10 000 became available to use in all stations of the line on October 3 2015 135 A shortage of the stored value cards was reported in 2022 due to the ongoing global chip shortage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine 136 137 Fare adjustment edit Adjusting passenger fares was ordered by President Joseph Estrada as a means to boost flagging ridership figures 138 and the issue of fares both historically and in the present day continues to be a contentious political issue involving officials at even the highest levels of government Current fare levels were set on January 4 2015 as a consequence of DOTr formerly DOTC having to increase fares for LRT Line 1 as per their concession agreement with MPIC Ayala with fare hikes delayed for several years despite inflation and rising operating costs 139 Prior to the current fares levels fares were set on July 15 2000 under the orders of then President Estrada this was intended to have the line become competitive against other modes of transport 140 but had the effect of causing revenue shortfalls which the government shouldered While originally set to last only until January 2001 140 the new fare structure persisted due to strong public opposition against increasing fares 141 especially as ridership increased significantly after lower fares were implemented 138 In 2022 when the line waived its fares ridership also increased 142 These lower fares which are only slightly more expensive than jeepney fares ended up being financed through large government subsidies amounting to around 45 per passenger 141 143 and which for both the MRT and LRT reached 75 billion for the 10 year period between 2004 and 2014 144 Without subsidies the cost of a single trip is estimated at 60 143 and a 10 increase in fares would yield additional monthly revenues of 2 3 billion a month 145 Passenger fare subsidies are unpopular outside Metro Manila with subsidy opponents claiming that their taxes are being used to subsidize Metro Manila commuters without any benefit to the countryside and that the fare subsidies should be used for infrastructure improvements in the rest of the country 146 In his 2013 State of the Nation Address President Benigno Aquino III claimed that it would be unfair for non Metro Manila residents to use their taxes to subsidize the LRT and MRT 147 However supporters of the subsidies claimed that the rest of the country benefits economically from efficient transportation in Metro Manila 148 In January 2023 a petition was filed for a 4 6 fare hike due to a major net loss incurred in 2022 the incurred revenue was only 1 11 billion whereas the expenses amounted to roughly 8 97 billion resulting in a loss of 7 86 billion In the petition the MRT 3 management said that fare revenues were never enough to compensate the MRTC to cover the initial investment in the construction operations and maintenance of the line 149 The fare hike is now set for the first quarter of 2024 150 Rolling stock edit nbsp MRTC 3000 class nbsp MRTC 3100 class The line runs light rail vehicles LRV in a regular three car configuration Four car trains began operating by March 2022 although most trains remain running in three cars 66 The DOTr planned to convert all three car trains to four car trains by 2023 68 Two train types run in the line the latest being those purchased from CRRC Dalian under the Aquino administration The line has a total of 121 light rail vehicles 73 of which were made in the Czech Republic by CKD now part of Siemens AG 1 and were purchased with export financing from the Czech government 151 One CKD train car was damaged following a derailment of a train in 2014 Another 48 were made by CRRC Dalian in China that were purchased at a cost of 3 8 billion Trains have a capacity of 1 182 passengers 1 expandable to 1 576 152 which is a little bigger than the normal capacity of LRT Line 1 first generation rolling stock that has a capacity with the same configuration of 1 122 passengers although trains came with air conditioning c Despite this it is designed to carry in excess of 23 000 passengers per hour per direction PPHPD and is expandable to accommodate 48 000 passengers per hour per direction 1 The plans for new rolling stock has been an issue for the MRT during the Aquino administration under DOTC s leadership of then Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya with plans to acquire 52 second hand LRVs offered from Madrid Metro in Spain with a budget of 8 43 billion 153 along with a proposal from Inekon Trams in 2013 154 However undisclosed issues and train incompatibility issues regarding the project the project was downgraded to 48 LRVs with the contract having CRRC Dalian supply 48 new LRVs The deployment of the Dalian trainsets was delayed due to several factors including weight limits on existing tracks and inconsistencies in production which has since been corrected On October 27 2018 DOTr started the gradual deployment of the 2nd generation trains 59 Currently none of the Dalian trains are in operation 114 The trains are designed to run at a maximum speed of 65 kilometers per hour 40 mph but currently run at a maximum safe speed of 60 kilometers per hour 37 mph though some areas are limited to a speed of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour 25 to 31 mph like turnouts Until 2014 all trains ran at the maximum speed until speed restrictions were implemented following a derailment incident of a train coach at Taft Avenue station on August 13 of that year in which the maximum speed was restricted to 40 kilometers per hour 25 mph 155 By 2017 it was subsequently downgraded to 30 kilometers per hour 19 mph 156 After the completion of a rail replacement program the operating speed was gradually increased from 30 kilometers per hour 19 mph to 40 kilometers per hour 25 mph on October 1 2020 157 to 50 kilometers per hour 31 mph on November 3 158 and to 60 kilometers per hour 37 mph on December 7 159 Due to poor maintenance by the previous maintenance contractors the line previously operated with 7 10 minute headways under the DOTr orders 1 and the line s passenger volume operated at 15 000 18 000 passengers per hour per direction before the COVID 19 pandemic With the enhancements and rehabilitation the delays were gradually shortened and the passenger volume is expected to increase to 19 000 25 000 passengers per hour per direction with the introduction of four car trains and the lifting of capacity restrictions brought by the COVID 19 pandemic 160 In early 2018 the lack of spare parts for the trains decreased the number of usable trains to just 3 to 7 operational trains running during peak hours 161 162 The Department of Transportation DOTr attributed this to the previous maintenance provider Busan Universal Rail Inc BURI for failing to provide enough spare parts for the trains 163 However by April 2018 after maintenance works were done the usabale trains were increased to 14 16 164 Due to aging air conditioning units that have been in place since the line s inauguration and complaints of uncomfortable indoor temperatures from riders the air conditioning units for the first generation trainsets were first replaced in 2008 during the line s first general overhaul in 2008 to 2009 165 In 2017 the second replacement of the air conditioning units commenced with new units ordered from Thermo King The replacement of these units were finished on June 18 2021 as part of the line s rehabilitation project 166 The Passenger Assist Railway Display System PARDS a passenger information system powered by LCD screens installed near the ceiling of the train that shows news advertisements current train location arrivals and station layouts are already installed inside the first generation trains PARDS is also installed on trains on LRT lines 1 and 2 167 Depot edit The line maintains an underground depot in Quezon City near North Avenue station Above the depot is TriNoma a shopping mall owned by the Ayala Corporation The depot occupies 84 444 square meters 908 950 sq ft 8 4444 ha of space and serves as the center of operations and maintenance It is connected to the mainline through a spur line The depot is capable of storing 81 light rail vehicles with the option to expand to include 40 more vehicles as demand arises 60 They are parked on nine sets of tracks which converge onto the spur route and later on to the main network 1 However a lot of rail tracks for storage inside the depot owned by MRTC were taken by DOTC now DOTr to repair broken rails 168 as DOTC s previous maintenance provider did not purchase spare rails These rails have since been replaced during the rehabilitation done along the entire line by Sumitomo Other infrastructure editSignalling edit nbsp Two aspect signal lights at Shaw Boulevard station The line uses the CITYFLO 250 fixed block signalling solution supplied by Alstom formerly Bombardier Transportation 4 designed for light rapid transit operations with on board automatic train protection ATP system on trains 169 170 Aside from the ATP system the signalling system consists of train detection through track circuits EBI Screen 900 centralized traffic control and computer based interlocking 171 1 Adtranz later Bombardier Transportation designed and supplied the original signalling system of the line and maintained it from 2000 to 2012 4 172 The firm owns the proprietary rights to supply new components for the system Plans were laid to upgrade the signalling system were laid in 2015 That same year Bombardier through its Thai subsidiary Bombardier Transportation Signal Thailand was awarded the contract to upgrade the system s local control system The upgrade replaced the MAN 900 system with the EBI Screen 900 system with modern computers and fiber optic technology 173 The previous maintenance providers failed to properly maintain the signalling system and used non OEM parts to save costs This in turn caused many problems within the system which became among the top three reasons of service interruptions on the line 4 Plans to upgrade the signalling system were restarted in 2018 when the Department of Transportation DOTr signed a memorandum of understanding MoU with Bombardier Transportation on February 9 2018 for the procurement of the Original Equipment Manufacturer OEM of the signalling equipment and spare parts 4 Included in the MoU was a two year maintenance contract 4 that was later cancelled in May 2019 due to the rehabilitation program which included the maintenance of the signalling system by Sumitomo 174 The 2019 2021 upgrade included the replacement of copper cables with fiber optic cables 175 installation of 71 new signal lights 176 new interlocking equipment new point machines new track circuits including tuning units which form part of the track circuits 177 and other wayside equipment 178 Works continued during the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation by Alstom in January 2021 The upgraded system was commissioned on October 24 2021 5 Tracks edit nbsp Pocket track turnout and new railway sleepers near Taft Avenue station The standard gauge tracks consist of 54 kilogram per meter 36 lb ft rails designed to the UIC 54 rail profile 1 6 which are welded together to form a long welded rail 69 Some rails located in the turnouts have fishplates bolted at the ends of the rail These are laid on sections of the line with ballasted and concrete plinth sections 60 Sections with track ballast are located on at grade sections and the underground portion of the line except Buendia station and the turnouts south of the station while plinth sections are located at elevated sections of the line The tracks on ballasted sections are supported by concrete sleepers 60 The rehabilitation of the line led to the introduction of fiber reinforced foam urethane FFU railway sleepers FFU sleepers are found at the line s depot and the turnouts near Taft Avenue station 179 Plans to replace the rail tracks were laid in 2015 Replacement works in certain sections of the line were conducted in February and March of that year 180 181 In January 2015 the joint venture of Jorgman Daewoo and MBTech Group was awarded the 61 5 million contract for the major replacement works The joint venture supplied 7 296 pieces of 12 meter 39 ft rails 182 However the rails would later be worn out A rail replacement program started on November 4 2019 as part of a rehabilitation program 69 4 053 pieces of 18 meter 59 ft rails assembled by the Nippon Steel Corporation in Fukuoka Japan were used for the replacement program 183 Rail replacement works were suspended during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon but works resumed in April 2020 and the replacement was fast tracked 184 185 The replacement program was slated to be completed by February 2021 but was completed five months early in September 2020 185 The turnouts near the Taft Avenue station were repaired in October and November 2020 186 187 The rail replacement was intended to increase the operating speed from 30 kilometers per hour 19 mph to 60 kilometers per hour 37 mph and was achieved on December 7 2020 159 Plans and proposals editPrivatization edit In November 2022 the Department of Transportation said that it is considering to privatize the operations and maintenance of the line to enhance efficiency reduce operating costs and keep fares affordable The rail lines assets will remain owned by the government similar to the LRT Line 1 188 Such a plan was announced as early as 2017 189 Southern and western extension edit During the line s construction in 2000 Pasay residents raised concerns about the line being constructed at ground level resulting in the closure of several intersections along EDSA forcing people to take long detours just to cross EDSA Residents also complained that they were not properly consulted about the line s construction in their area The MRTC stated that the segment could not be made as an elevated railway due to the air rights above the LRT 1 already being awarded to the Department of Public Works and Highways for a flyover in 1996 190 In a feasibility study in 2009 and in 2015 launched by Japan International Cooperation Agency along with the Department of Transportation the Transport and Traffic Planners TTPI Inc 191 and other Japanese and local railway officials launched a plan to extend the present MRT line s southern end by constructing a 2 2 kilometer 1 4 mi at grade and underground segment from Taft Avenue station to the SM Mall of Asia complex 192 Plans were also laid out to add another station by traversing through Macapagal Boulevard and linking the line to the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange therefore adding another 3 1 kilometers 1 9 mi to the main line The study also included a planned 7 2 kilometer 4 5 mi extension to the northern and western cities of Navotas Southern Caloocan and Malabon which is also included to the planned merging project with the LRT Line 1 and connecting it to the North South Commuter Railway Caloocan station 192 Due to the numerous problems surrounding the project such as right of way and cost issues the government decided to presumably scrap the extension plans and look for alternatives instead such as the planned Integrated Pasay Monorail project by the Pasay City LGU and SM Investments starting from the Taft Avenue station to SM Mall of Asia 193 Line merge with LRT Line 1 edit Although Phase 1 of the line Taft Avenue to North Avenue has already been built the route envisioned by the DOTC and the government in general was for it to traverse most of EDSA from Monumento to Taft Avenue eventually meeting with the LRT 1 at Monumento in Caloocan Phase 2 to create a seamless rail loop around Metro Manila The expansion has been shelved by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in favor of the LRT Line 1 s extension from Monumento to a new common station that it will share with at North Avenue thus closing the loop However this move of President Arroyo to take away Phase 2 had proven to be ill advised as the ridership is very low at only about 30 000 passengers a day The southern terminus of the MRT Line 7 originally Line 4 along Quezon Avenue but had since changed route several times which will link Quezon City Caloocan north and San Jose del Monte Bulacan will be sharing the same station The National Economic and Development Authority as well as then President Arroyo herself have said that the link at North Avenue is a national priority since it would not only provide seamless service between the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3 but would also help decongest Metro Manila 194 It is estimated that by 2010 when the extension is completed some 684 000 commuters would use the line every day from the present 400 000 and traffic congestion on EDSA would be cut by as much as 50 195 Proposals to fully unite LRT 1 and MRT 3 operations and systems have been pitched but has not been pursued so far Feasibility tests for this proposition included LRT 1 trains visiting MRT 3 depot facilities and running them on the entire line Even if the physical infrastructure connecting the two rail systems are in place and successfully tested 196 commuters have to go down at the Roosevelt station of LRT Line 1 and walk over or take a tricycle or jeepney for the 1 kilometer 0 62 mi distance to the Trinoma terminal of MRT Line 3 197 In 2011 a year after the completion of the loop the then Department of Transportation and Communications under Secretary Jose de Jesus launched an auction for a temporary five year operations and maintenance contract for the MRT 3 and LRT 1 The bidding was set by July 2011 Over 21 companies from around the world expressed interest to bid which included Metro Pacific Investments Sumitomo Corporation Siemens DMCI Holdings San Miguel Corporation and others 198 After de Jesus resigned from the DOTC 199 his successor Mar Roxas halted the auction process and was later shelved 200 Transfer of operations from MRTC to LRTA edit A new study for the Metro Manila Rail Network has been unveiled by DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco that LRT 1 LRT 2 and MRT 3 will be placed under the management of the Light Rail Transit Authority LRTA This is due to maintenance cost issues for LRT 1 s maintenance cost which is approximately 35 million along with LRT Line 2 s 25 million and MRT Line 3 s 54 million maintenance costs Another reason for this study is for the unification of the lines According to DOTC Undersecretary for Rails Glicerio Sicat the transfer was set by the government in June 2011 201 However it is unlikely that the private owners MRTC will approve this plan On January 13 2011 Light Rail Transit Authority Chief Rafael S Rodriguez took over as officer in charge of the line in preparation for the integration of operations of the three lines 202 but with the entry of a new leadership into the DOTC that year and in 2012 the transfer was deemed not likely to happen however in April 2012 a LRT 1 trainset made the first trial journey to the MRT 3 depot 203 On May 26 2014 the line s general manager Al Vitangcol was sacked by Transportation and Communication Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and was replaced by LRTA Administrator Honorito Chaneco as officer in charge The move came after Vitangcol was accused by the ambassador of the Czech Republic of extortion and for awarding the maintenance contract in October 2012 to PH Trams a company established by Vitangcol s uncle in law Vitangcol was also involved in an attempt to extort 30 million from Inekon Group in exchange of 48 train vehicles in July 2012 204 North Triangle Common Station edit Main article North Triangle Common Station On November 21 2013 the NEDA board chaired by President Benigno Aquino III approved the construction of a common station within North Avenue between SM City North EDSA and TriNoma Mall It is estimated to cost 1 4 billion pesos It will feature head to head platforms for LRT 1 and MRT 3 trains with a 147 4 meter 484 ft elevated walkalator to MRT 7 205 SM Investments Corporation posted 200 million pesos for the naming rights of the common station 206 This is inconsistent with the original plan of having seamless connectivity to Monumento and is also an unusual arrangement of having two train stations beside each other However the project was shelved indefinitely due to disputes over cost engineering issues and naming rights 207 The Supreme Court halted the construction of the project in August 2014 after SM Prime Holdings contested the new location near Trinoma 208 209 An agreement was later reached under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte on September 28 2016 and the common station finally begun construction on September 29 2017 210 Partial operations of the station will begin in 2023 211 Incidents edit nbsp Passengers unloading from a 3000 class train in 2014 due to a service incident During the testing period of the system the MRT 3 has been prone to numerous disruptions and breakdowns due to technical problems in the overall systems and design since its opening in 1999 due to many factors such as the humid conditions in the country lack of accessibility to the stations and incompatible problems in the rolling stock causing major adjustments to the system However problems began to arise in 2012 due to poor maintenance causing train glitches lack of spare parts and negligence The system has faced numerous interruptions and accidents This in turn has caused lower ridership frequent unloading of passengers and passenger inconvenience 212 These are some of the notable incidents involving the railway line On November 3 2012 a MRTC 3000 class train from the Araneta Center Cubao station caught fire as it approached GMA Kamuning station causing passengers to scramble to the exits and having two women injured The train caught fire due to electrical short circuit technical failure 213 On May 8 2013 a man was killed in an apparent suicide after allegedly jumping in front of an oncoming MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station 214 On March 26 2014 a southbound MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station suddenly stopped due to the train driver not observing the red light status at the Guadalupe station and accelerated southbound without getting prior clearance from the Control Center causing the automatic train protection system to trigger and activate the emergency brakes resulting in eight injuries 215 On August 13 2014 a southbound MRTC 3000 class train heading to Taft Avenue station derailed and overshot to the streets The train first stopped after leaving Magallanes station due to a technical problem Later on the train broke down altogether so another train was used to push the stalled train During this process however the first train became detached from the rails and overshot towards Taft Avenue As a result the train crashed through the buffer stop and concrete barriers and derailed onto Taft Avenue At least 38 people were injured The accident was blamed on two train drivers and two control personnel for failing to follow the proper coordination procedures and protocol 216 217 On September 2 2014 a MRTC 3000 class train continued with one of its doors left open after a train door failed to close at the Guadalupe station The passengers were then evacuated after the train arrived at Boni station 218 On November 14 2017 an alighting passenger at the Ayala station suddenly fell down to the tracks The passenger was caught between the first and second cars of the train and her arm was cut off Operations were disrupted but was resumed shortly 219 The injured passenger was then brought to a nearby hospital and her arm was reconnected by surgeons the following day 220 Following this incident the government reconsidered the use of platform screen doors in stations to prevent such incident 95 On November 16 2017 at 11 30 am at least 140 passengers were evacuated from a train car that detached from a MRTC 3000 class train between the railway lines of Buendia and Ayala Avenue Stations 221 On August 7 2018 an aircon leak caused the inside of a MRTC 3000 class train to flood prompting passengers inside to open their umbrellas The train was removed from service to fix the air conditioning unit and the train involved in the incident returned to service the following day 222 On September 26 2018 two maintenance vehicles collided between Buendia and Guadalupe stations while doing a routine track maintenance injuring 7 people This resulted in a one hour delay of the deployment of trains causing long lines at stations 223 On September 6 2019 an overhead catenary line section snapped at Guadalupe station causing a power supply glitch in the whole line affecting over 7 000 passengers Partial operations were implemented from North Avenue station to Shaw Boulevard station The situation normalized at 5 00 pm 224 The incident was caused by a defective and old Protection and Control Unit PTU that was overdue for replacement after an investigation was made Train preparation and daily maintenance were among the factors that failed to prevent this incident 225 On November 4 2019 at 4 08 pm a MRTC 3000 class train suddenly emitted smoke while on the northbound track of the line Around 530 passengers were unloaded Around two hours after the incident the operation of the line was back to normal 226 The fire was caused by a short circuit in the traction motor 227 On May 9 2021 two men were arrested for illegally going down to the railway tracks at Quezon Avenue station to take a selfie 228 On May 12 2021 a MRTC 3000 class train car was vandalized by an unidentified culprit near Taft Avenue station Investigations were conducted and initial reports state that the culprit had cut the perimeter fence near Taft Avenue station which may have caused the vandalism 106 On October 9 2021 a MRTC 3000 class train car caught fire near the Guadalupe station A provisional service was implemented between North Avenue and Shaw Boulevard station and the site of the incident was declared fire out at 9 51 pm As a result of the incident 8 passengers sustained minor injuries 229 Normal operations resumed the following day 230 On November 21 2021 a window in a MRTC 3000 class LRV was damaged due to a stoning incident with one injury reported 231 The suspect was later identified as a garbage collector and was subsequently arrested and charged 232 On June 12 2022 two persons fell to their deaths from the EDSA Taft Avenue Tramo flyover onto the MRT 3 tracks leading to Taft Avenue station causing an hour long interruption in services 233 Notes edit The overhauls were carried out during most of the entire duration of the contract originally 43 months and not the initial 26 month rehabilitation period Data from December 16 to 31 1999 The LRT Line 1 first generation trains originally came with forced ventilation until the trains were refurbished with air conditioning from 2003 to 2004 References edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p About Metro Rail Transit Archived from the original on January 14 2022 Retrieved March 5 2022 a b c MRT 3 served around 357K passengers a day in 2023 DOTr ABS CBN News January 3 2024 Retrieved January 3 2024 Japan International Cooperation Agency Oriental Consultants Co Ltd ALMEC Corporation Katahira amp Engineers International Tonichi Engineering Consultants Inc July 2013 APPENDICES PDF STUDY ON RAILWAY STRATEGY FOR ENHANCEMENT OF RAILWAY NETWORK SYSTEM IN METRO MANILA OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FINAL REPORT LRT LINE 1 CAVITE EXTENSION PROJECT Report Vol 1 Retrieved February 27 2022 a b c d e f Patena Aerol John February 9 2018 Bombardier to supply parts signalling system for MRT upgrade anew Philippine News Agency Retrieved January 12 2022 a b Alstom in the Philippines PDF Alstom November 2021 Retrieved February 19 2022 a b c Department of Transportation and Communications 2013 Design and or Supply and Delivery of Forty Eight 48 Light Rail Vehicles with On board Communication System Radio Public Address Intercom On board ATP System and One 1 Unit Train Simulator PDF Report Archived PDF from the original on December 22 2021 Retrieved December 22 2021 Govt eyes June for start of MRT LRT loop project BusinessWorld April 18 2008 Retrieved April 5 2022 via GMA News Salazar Irineo B R January 31 2016 On a clear day you can see the MRT The Society of Honor by Joe America Retrieved July 20 2016 Mendez Christina August 11 2015 Poe s Senate panel to resume hearing on Line 3 The Philippine STAR Retrieved July 20 2016 a b Amojelar Darwin G August 14 2014 DERAILED 5 things you should know about MRT3 and the mess it s in InterAksyon TV5 News and Information Archived from the original on August 16 2014 Retrieved August 17 2014 a b c Padin Mary Grace November 8 2018 Government inks P18 8 billion JICA loan for MRT 3 rehabilitation The Philippine Star Retrieved January 10 2022 a b Magsino Dona May 1 2019 MRT3 rehab maintenance starts GMA News Online Retrieved June 16 2021 a b Grecia Leandre March 22 2022 DOTr marks the completion of the MRT 3 Rehabilitation Project Top Gear Philippines Retrieved March 22 2022 Ombay Giselle December 9 2021 DOTr Mitigating measures will be placed in case EDSA North Avenue station temporarily closes GMA News Retrieved December 9 2021 Luna Franco March 29 2022 MRT 3 deploys 4 car 3 car train sets simultaneously The Philippine Star Retrieved March 29 2022 Valmonte Kaycee Luna Franco April 14 2022 Tugade sorry for inconvenience brought by MRT 3 closure on last workday of Holy Week The Philippine Star Retrieved April 15 2022 MRT LRT 2 to suspend operations during Holy Week holidays ABS CBN News March 13 2023 Retrieved March 13 2023 Grecia Leandre December 21 2021 Here are the LRT 1 LRT 2 MRT 3 schedules for Christmas 2021 Top Gear Philippines Retrieved December 21 2021 Olchondra Riza T May 29 2009 MRT 3 rides to go 24 hours starting June 1 Philippine Daily Inquirer Archived from the original on May 30 2009 Retrieved May 31 2009 Kwok Abigail June 3 2009 MRT 3 stops 24 hour run Philippine Daily Inquirer Archived from the original on October 27 2014 Retrieved March 11 2014 Camus Miguel R Calleja Nina P February 21 2014 DOTC extends MRT 3 operating hours Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved March 11 2014 a b c Jose Ricardo Mabazza Daniel Lagman Marco Stefan Villasper Jonathan Planning Metro Manila s Mass Transit System PDF University of the Philippines Diliman Archived from the original PDF on April 20 2017 Retrieved February 19 2022 Light Rail Transit Authority Company History Light Rail Transit Authority Archived from the original on September 24 2014 Retrieved September 13 2014 a b c d e f Anonas Alma S June 10 1999 On track and heading for Year 2K on MRT 3 Manila Standard Kamahalan Publishing Corporation Retrieved January 21 2014 via Google News Archive Macaspac Joem H Garcia Ma Luisa M March 28 1996 First phase of Edsa metro rail transit system under way Manila Standard Kamahalan Publishing Corporation Retrieved January 21 2014 via Google News Archive G R No 114222 April 6 1995 Archived from the original on February 23 2018 Retrieved November 19 2021 About Us Metro Rail Transit Corporation Retrieved May 26 2022 Marcelo Elizabeth January 14 2016 DOTC at fault for inefficient maintenance providers letting MRTC off the hook COA GMA News Retrieved December 10 2021 Miracle rail project to rid Edsa of jams New Straits Times The New Straits Times Press M Bhd December 15 1999 Retrieved January 21 2014 via Google News Archive MRT 3 Fully Completed Inauguration Turnover Set on July 20 Manila Bulletin Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation July 16 2000 Archived from the original on July 13 2021 Trinidad Andrea H January 2 2000 Metrostar Express proves a big disappointment Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved January 21 2014 via Google News Archive Rivera Blanche S January 13 2000 Metro trains on EDSA running almost empty Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved January 21 2014 via Google News Archive Katigbak J R January 8 2000 New white elephants in Metro Manila Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved January 21 2014 via Google News Archive a b Dela Paz Chrisee August 28 2017 Busan Universal Rail calls DOTr s move to end contract unfair Rappler Retrieved November 21 2017 a b de Fiesta Ria February 27 2014 Abaya MRT 3 operating at overcapacity ABS CBN News and Current Affairs Retrieved August 17 2014 Tiglao Rigoberto October 5 2014 MRT 3 may collapse anytime The Manila Times Retrieved April 4 2022 Arcangel Xianne November 25 2016 Vitangcol faces graft raps over alleged extort try on Czech firm GMA News GMA Network Inc Retrieved January 11 2022 APT wins MRT 3 maintenance contract Rappler September 2 2013 Retrieved January 11 2022 Cruz Neal H September 3 2014 DOTC at fault for MRT 3 breakdowns Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved January 16 2022 Rosario Ben October 14 2014 House committee to investigate MRT3 controversies Manila Bulletin Archived from the original on February 5 2016 Retrieved January 30 2016 Estanislao Anna February 4 2016 Abaya DOTC officials may have violated anti graft law over MRT 3 CNN Philippines Archived from the original on February 5 2016 Retrieved February 5 2016 De Guzman Kristine February 4 2016 DOTC chief shrugs off Senate report on MRT3 CNN Philippines Archived from the original on February 5 2016 Retrieved February 5 2016 Bidding for MRT3 maintenance contract fails Rappler October 29 2014 Retrieved January 11 2022 Bondoc Jarius January 26 2015 LRT MRT biddings all flop as planned The Philippine Star Retrieved January 11 2022 Mariano Keith Richard September 2 2015 DOTC starts emergency procurement of MRT 3 maintenance contract GMA News Retrieved January 10 2022 MRT rolling stock signaling system maintenance begins Department of Transportation and Communications January 8 2016 Retrieved January 13 2022 via the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines Marasigan Lorenz July 27 2017 MRT 3 flawed from the start Busan BusinessMirror Retrieved November 21 2017 DOTr Gov t to take over MRT3 maintenance CNN Philippines November 6 2017 Archived from the original on November 9 2017 Retrieved November 21 2017 a b c d Regalado Pia May 31 2023 MRT s Four Car Trains Are Coming Soon to Accommodate More Passengers spot ph Retrieved May 31 2023 JICAChannel02 June 10 2014 The Philippines MEGA MANILA INFRASTRUCTURE ROADMAP Long Ver YouTube Archived from the original on December 13 2021 Retrieved April 20 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link a b More MRT 3 coaches on the way Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines January 18 2016 Retrieved April 20 2016 New MRT 3 train to be launched before April GOVPH Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines February 23 2016 Retrieved April 20 2016 Dela Paz Chrisee February 23 2016 DOTC sees launch of new MRT3 train by April Rappler Retrieved April 20 2016 De Guzman Kristine April 15 2016 New MRT trains to finally run on revenue hours CNN Philippines Archived from the original on April 19 2016 Retrieved April 20 2016 De Guzman Kristine April 16 2016 New MRT3 train starts running next week CNN Philippines Archived from the original on September 24 2018 Retrieved April 20 2016 Francisco Kevin Bruce May 7 2016 New MRT Line 3 coaches begin operations today YugaTech Retrieved May 5 2022 Dalian to pay cost of adjustments of unused MRT3 trains Tugade GMA News Online July 8 2018 Retrieved September 25 2018 Rey Aika August 30 2018 Chinese firm Dalian agrees to pay all costs to fix unused MRT3 trains Rappler a b Talabong Rambo October 27 2018 After years of delay DOTr begins adding Dalian trains to MRT3 Rappler Retrieved March 15 2022 a b c d e f g Procurement of MRT3 Capacity Expansion Project Lot 2 Upgrade of Ancillary Systems PDF Report 2016 Archived PDF from the original on November 9 2021 Retrieved January 12 2022 DOTC opens bidding for P836 M MRT 3 ancillary systems Department of Transportation and Communications May 21 2014 Retrieved May 3 2022 via Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines Balinbin Arjay L March 9 2022 MRT 3 testing four car configuration to expand capacity BusinessWorld Retrieved March 9 2022 Ramirez Robertzon January 28 2016 MRT 3 new trains may not run efficiently expert The Philippine Star Retrieved May 5 2022 Lo Francis Christopher May 30 2016 MRT3 Dalian 8MLB 4 Car Train YouTube Retrieved March 9 2022 Dela Cruz Raymond Carl March 11 2022 MRT eyes 4 car train setup after successful dynamic testing Philippine News Agency Retrieved March 28 2022 a b Recuenco Aaron March 28 2022 MRT 3 starts month long free ride deploys 4 car train set Manila Bulletin Archived from the original on March 28 2022 Retrieved March 28 2022 Dela Cruz Raymond Carl April 18 2022 MRT 3 rolls out another 4 car train after Holy Week shutdown Philippine News Agency Retrieved April 18 2022 a b c Manahan Job March 29 2022 MRT 3 eyes 4 car configuration for all trains next year official ABS CBN News Retrieved March 30 2022 a b c Mercurio Richmond January 12 2020 MRT 3 rail replacement complete by 2021 The Philippine Star Retrieved April 8 2022 Dela Paz Chrisee J V December 17 2014 Sumitomo Sobrepena to tap ally Metro Pacific for MRT 3 upgrade BusinessWorld Retrieved April 11 2022 Desiderio Louella June 4 2017 SMC interested in MRT 3 rehab The Philippine Star Retrieved April 11 2022 DOTr studying private owner s offer to maintain MRT 3 CNN Philippines November 25 2017 November 17 2017 Archived from the original on April 11 2022 Retrieved April 11 2022 Layug Margaret Claire November 29 2017 DOTr Sumitomo Mitsubishi back as MRT3 maintenance providers starting 2018 GMA News Retrieved April 24 2022 Lao Joshua August 18 2018 NEDA approves MRT3 rehab Daily Tribune Archived from the original on June 2 2022 Retrieved April 24 2022 a b Subingsubing Krixia December 29 2018 Sumitomo back on track with MRT 3 Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved January 2 2019 Subingsubing Krixia January 3 2019 3 year MRT 3 rehab to start this month Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved March 31 2022 Mendez Christina March 7 2019 Reenacted budget to affect MRT 3 rehab subway project The Philippine Star Retrieved March 31 2022 Orellana Faye March 6 2019 MRT 3 rehab kickoff moved to May Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved March 31 2022 a b c d MHIENG Completes Rehabilitation of Manila s MRT 3 Rail Line Tokyo Mitsubishi Heavy Industries March 24 2022 Retrieved March 31 2022 Marquez Consuelo November 8 2018 PH Japan sign loan agreement for 26 month MRT 3 rehab Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved March 31 2022 Amojelar Darwin December 31 2018 Sumitomo asked to start MRT 3 rehabilitation in 19 Manila Standard Retrieved January 2 2019 Rita Joviland June 24 2020 Limited work force experts affected MRT3 rehab work during ECQ exec GMA News Retrieved March 31 2022 Amojelar Darwin G July 11 2021 MRT 3 rehabilitation completed December Manila Standard Retrieved July 13 2021 Galvez Daphne March 1 2022 MRT 3 rehabilitation is finished says Tugade Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved March 1 2022 Panti Llanesca T March 22 2022 Duterte announces free MRT 3 rides from March 28 to April 30 amid rehab work completion GMA News Retrieved March 22 2022 Locus Sundy June 21 2022 Libreng Sakay of PUVs MRT 3 to end on June 30 2022 GMA News Retrieved June 22 2022 Domingo Ronnel W May 27 2023 Japan lends P6 9B to bankroll MRT 3 rehab Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved May 27 2023 Abadilla Emmie V May 31 2023 DOTR Sumitomo sign P7 38 B MRT 3 extended rehab contract Manila Bulletin Retrieved May 31 2023 Second MRT 3 rehab to enable capacity boost to 500 000 passengers per day BusinessWorld Online May 31 2023 Satre Gary L June 1998 The Metro Manila LRT System A Historical Perspective PDF Japan Railway and Transport Review 16 33 37 Archived from the original PDF on May 5 2006 Retrieved August 14 2014 ALAMIN Narito ang listahan ng mga priority passengers na maaaring makasakay sa priority area na unang bagon o train car ng mga tren ng MRT 3 Facebook DOTr MRT 3 February 16 2022 Retrieved February 16 2022 Cortez Joseph August 22 2020 All MRT 3 escalators elevators now working Daily Tribune Archived from the original on April 19 2022 Retrieved April 19 2022 Lapena Carmela G February 11 2012 Bike to work Why not MRT now allows folding bikes GMA News Online Retrieved May 15 2022 Platform doors installed in MRT station ABS CBN News June 26 2013 Retrieved September 20 2020 a b Nicholls AJ Bacungan VJ November 15 2017 Gov t considers screen doors at MRT Ayala station after accident CNN Philippines Archived from the original on March 25 2022 Retrieved September 20 2020 Ulanday Abelardo S December 9 2001 The best things in life are Libre Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved August 14 2014 via Google News Archive World Bank December 2 2004 A Tale of Three Cities Urban Rail Concessions in Bangkok Kuala Lumpur and Manila Final Report PDF p 17 Archived from the original PDF on April 24 2006 Retrieved August 18 2014 Prepared by Halcrow Group Limited Months ago experts warned line was unsafe ABS CBN News and Current Affairs August 13 2014 Retrieved August 17 2014 Ayalin Adrian August 15 2013 MRT 3 A history of accidents Primetime on ANC ABS CBN News Channel Hegina Aries Joseph August 14 2014 Abaya MRT3 is safe riding it a personal decision Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved August 21 2014 Cupin Bea August 14 2014 Abaya admits MRT 3 upgrade overdue Rappler Retrieved August 17 2014 Manabat Johnson December 18 2013 MRT 3 enforces new crowd control scheme ABS CBN News and Current Affairs Retrieved August 17 2014 Camus Miguel R May 6 2014 All is set for MRT 3 express train run Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved August 18 2014 Camus Miguel R December 20 2013 MRT 3 boss defends crowd control amid jeering riders Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved August 17 2014 a b MRT3 Reminders Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Metro Rail Transit Corporation Archived from the original on August 19 2014 Retrieved August 17 2014 Antiporda Jefferson August 10 2005 MRT 3 issues directive imposing ban on tin cans The Manila Times Manila Times Publishing Corporation Archived from the original on August 19 2006 Retrieved May 19 2006 a b Manabat Jacque May 13 2021 MRT management looking for witnesses after train vandalism ABS CBN News Retrieved May 13 2021 Fe Kaye May 19 2021 MRT 3 beefs up security following May 12 vandalism incident Eagle News Eagle Broadcasting Corporation Archived from the original on August 15 2021 Retrieved August 15 2021 No suspicious activities after hoax bomb threat hits MRT 3 says DOTr CNN Philippines September 8 2023 Archived from the original on November 10 2023 Retrieved September 9 2023 Del Puerto Luige A Quismundo Tarra V November 13 2004 New task force formed to keep LRT MRT safe Philippine Daily Inquirer Archived from the original on January 4 2005 Retrieved May 19 2006 MRT 3 allows pets inside trains CNN Philippines July 13 2021 Archived from the original on July 19 2021 Retrieved July 19 2021 a b c MRT3 Ridership DOTr Archived from the original on November 4 2021 Retrieved November 4 2021 Dela Cruz Raymond Carl June 25 2020 4 Metro Manila rail lines transport 2 8M passengers since June 1 Philippine News Agency Archived from the original on November 4 2021 Retrieved November 4 2021 MRT 3 serves record 157K passengers since Covid lockdown www pna gov ph January 19 2021 Retrieved November 4 2021 a b c Fernandez Daniza January 24 2022 45 6 million commuters ride MRT 3 in 2021 Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved January 24 2022 Cayabyab Marc Jayson June 8 2022 No unloading incidents as ridership peaks at MRT The Philippine Star Retrieved June 8 2022 Libreng Sakay Update Facebook July 1 2022 Retrieved July 1 2022 Sarao Zacarian January 5 2023 MRT 3 ridership breaches 98 million mark in 2022 Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved January 5 2023 MRT 3 LRT 2 offer free rides to women on March 8 GMA News Online March 7 2021 Retrieved June 10 2021 MRT LRT 1 and 2 to offer free rides on June 12 ABS CBN News June 11 2019 Retrieved June 10 2021 MRT3 to offer free rides on Independence Day GMA News Online June 10 2021 Retrieved June 10 2021 Sabillo Kristine Angeli December 28 2013 MRT LRT offer free rides on Rizal Day Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved July 24 2021 Rey Aika June 27 2019 Free LRT 2 MRT PNR rides for students starting July 1 Rappler Retrieved June 10 2021 Laurel Drei June 28 2019 Students must register for free MRT 3 LRT 2 and PNR rides Top Gear Philippines Retrieved June 10 2021 Mercado Neil Arwin July 1 2022 Marcos extends free EDSA Carousel bus rides OKs free train rides for students Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved July 1 2022 Rosales Elijah Felice July 14 2022 Free Train Rides For Students Limited To LRT 2 One News Retrieved August 17 2022 MRT 3 ready for reopening of classes expects 1 400 students daily Politiko Metro Manila August 17 2022 Retrieved August 17 2022 Araneta Sandy October 21 2005 DOTC MRT 3 fare could increase by P10 in 2006 The Philippine Star PhilStar Daily Inc Retrieved May 19 2006 Casanova Sheryll B November 12 2003 MRTC borrows value tickets from LRTA The Manila Times Manila Times Publishing Corporation Archived from the original on January 5 2004 Retrieved May 18 2006 Amojelar Darwin G September 21 2012 Expect long queues at MRT 3 amid shortage of tickets MRT3 TV5 News and Information Archived from the original on September 13 2014 Retrieved September 13 2014 Agcaoili Lawrence July 20 2014 DOTC earmarks P25M to buy additional MRT 3 tickets ABS CBN News and Current Affairs Retrieved September 13 2014 MRT3 woes The Manila Times Manila Times Publishing Corporation November 16 2005 Archived from the original on December 8 2015 Retrieved July 2 2006 Reyes Mary Ann Ll November 17 2006 Globe bares G Pass ticketing for MRT3 The Philippine Star PhilStar Daily Inc Retrieved September 13 2014 Reyes Mary Ann Ll March 31 2007 Smart ties up with MetroPass on MRT 3 The Philippine Star PhilStar Daily Inc Retrieved September 13 2014 Amojelar Darwin G January 29 2013 Ayala group to bid for common ticket system TV5 News and Information Archived from the original on October 19 2014 Retrieved September 23 2014 MRT 3 passengers start using beep cards GMA News Online October 3 2015 Retrieved June 23 2022 Manabat Jacque July 19 2022 Depleted supply of Beep cards anticipated due to global chip shortage ABS CBN News Retrieved August 20 2022 Rosales Elijah Felice August 20 2022 DOTr warns of beep card shortage The Philippine Star Retrieved August 20 2022 a b Serfino Dennis C May 1 2003 Metro Star still can t get enough revenue Manila Standard Kamahalan Publishing Corporation Retrieved April 23 2014 via Google News Archive LRT MRT FARES TO BE INCREASED ON JAN 4 dotc gov ph Department of Transportation and Communications DOTC Archived from the original on December 25 2014 Retrieved March 10 2015 a b Tuazon Brenda P July 16 2000 Estrada Orders MRT3 Firm to Reduce Metrostar Fares Manila Bulletin Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation Archived from the original on February 9 2019 Retrieved September 1 2021 a b Mandri Perrott Cledan 2000 Private Sector Participation in Light Rail Light Metro Transit Initiatives Washington D C World Bank p 94 ISBN 0 8213 8085 0 Recuenco Aaron April 4 2022 Almost 2M passengers served during the first week of MRT 3 s month long free ride Manila Bulletin Archived from the original on June 21 2022 Retrieved April 4 2022 a b Diokno Benjamin E December 17 2013 Folly of government subsidy BusinessWorld BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation Retrieved April 25 2014 Valderrama Tita C February 9 2014 Messed up mass transport system The Manila Times Manila Times Publishing Corporation Archived from the original on April 23 2014 Retrieved April 23 2014 Agcaoili Lawrence December 14 2013 DOTC says MRT LRT fare hike to yield P2 B add l revenues The Philippine Star PhilStar Daily Inc Retrieved April 23 2014 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.