MRT's Four-Car Trains Are Coming Soon to Accommodate More Passengers

(SPOT.ph) More passengers can ride the MRT-3 once it deploys its four-car trains from the existing three-car set-up, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Wednesday, May 31, as it aims to ferry more commuters along EDSA.

The MRT-3 can accommodate more than half a million passengers daily once it deploys longer train sets, an improvement from its current 350,000 daily maximum capacity, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said in a statement released by DOTr-MRT-3. 

"This will allow more passengers to traverse the length of EDSA, complementing the convenience offered by the EDSA Bus Carousel," said Bautista, without mentioning when the deployment would start.

The train line deployed the four-car train set in March 2022 for the first time. A four-car train set can carry up to 1,576 passengers.

The MRT-3 has 13 stations between Pasay City and Quezon City along its almost 17-kilometer route in EDSA, a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila.

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DOTr Extends Contract With Sumitomo for MRT-3's Rehabilitation, Maintenance

The announcement was made during the ceremonial contract of DOTr and Sumitomo Corporation for the MRT-3's rehabilitation and maintenance until July 2025. Its current contract will end this May 31.

In case you don't know, the Japanese consortium Sumitomo Corporation is the original designer, builder, and maintenance provider of the MRT-3.

Among its most recent rehabilitation project is the revamping of MRT-3's 72 train cars, where it either overhauled or replaced parts, including new air-conditioning units and new Public Address (PA) systems, to bring it back to their optimum condition.

Aside from this, part of the MRT-3 rehabilitation works is the extension of EDSA Taft's pocket track—an area where it could take a train off the main line so it can change directions without disrupting its operations—so it can accommodate the four-car sets.

MRT-3 currently has about 18 three-car sets. It also has two to six spare trains, it said.