MANILA, Philippines – Expect longer lines and extended travel time via the MRT-3 until Monday next week.
The management of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 announced on Wednesday that fewer trains would operate on slower speed as the four-day thorough check on the 17-year-old ailing rapid transit system starts.
Deo Manalo, MRT-3 director for operations, said the inspection of the entire fleet was triggered by a report Tuesday night that one of the trains made a “strange sound” and “excessively” swayed.
An initial check showed a defect in the axle of the train’s bogie system or framework carrying wheels situated under the driver’s coach, prompting the management to ask the MRT-3’s maintenance provider to also inspect the axels of the other trains via ultrasonic testing.
From 20, the number of operating trains would be reduced to 15, running at a slower speed of 20 kilometers per hour from 40 kph and extending average travel time to 50 minutes from 35 minutes from Taft to North Avenue, according to Manalo.
MRT-3, the lifeline of ordinary working Filipinos, carries an average of 463,000 passengers daily.
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