NextGen Day

MANILA, Philippines – Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) is now equipped to handle up to 400,000 passengers per day, more than doubling its current average.

MRT-3 Officer-in-Charge, General Manager Michael Capati, stated in a Zoom briefing on Friday that the MRT-3 currently accommodates 248,000 to 260,000 passengers per day, with an average fare collection of PHP2.7 million.

With the MRT-3 offering free rides to all passengers from March 28 to April 30, he predicted that the average daily passenger volume could increase to 300,000 to 400,000, depending on the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

“Ang ating pasilidad, ang ating capacitas, kaya po tayo nagte-test ng four-car trains. Dahil ang four-car trains po natin can accommodate a maximum of 1,576 passengers (Our facilities and capacity are ready, which is why we’re testing four-car trains, which can carry a maximum of 1,576 passengers),” Capati explained.

The MRT-3’s current three-car train configuration can carry approximately 1,100 passengers per train.

To ensure that the MRT-3 can accommodate as many passengers as possible on the first day of the free ride program, he said that during peak hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., two four-car trains will be dispatched from MRT-3s.

Additionally, 18 three-car trains will traverse the route between Quezon City’s North Avenue and Pasay City’s Taft Avenue.

Capati stated that the four-car train configuration is the future of MRT-3, with plans to combine older Czech CKD and newer Chinese Dalian train cars for four-car operations.

“From three-car train sets to four-car train sets, magiging (it will be). Thus, gradually, ina-achieve natin ‘yan (From three-car to four-car train sets. We will eventually achieve that),” Capati stated.

He stated that 48 of 72 CKD train cars have been overhauled to date, with the remainder expected to be completed within a year, and nine Dalian trains have been “provisionally accepted.”

The remaining 39 will be subjected to additional testing.

‘Complimentary ride’ program

With the MRT-3 expected to lose an average of PHP2.7 million in revenue per day of operation during the month-long free ride program, Capati stated that its operating expenses will be covered by its PHP7 billion budget under the 2022 General Appropriations Act.

“Ang mga riders ng MRT-3 ay subsidized na po at dahil meron tayong tinatawag na libreng sakay, fully subsidized na po ang buong gastos ng isang pasahero sa kanyang biyahe sa) MRT-3,” Capati said.

Passengers must have a stored-value Beep card or a single-trip Beep card to qualify for free rides.

The MRT-3 will be open 24 hours a day, except from April 12 to 17, when it will be closed for its annual Holy Week maintenance shutdown.

Save/Share this story with QR CODE

---

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement of any specific technologies or methodologies and financial advice or endorsement of any specific products or services.

Need to get in touch?

Feel free to Contact NextGenDay.com for comments, suggestions, reviews, or anything else.

---

We appreciate your reading. Simple Ways To Say Thanks & Support Us:
1.) GIVE A TIP. Send a small donation thru Paypal
Your DONATION will be used to fund and maintain NEXTGENDAY.com
Subscribers in the Philippines can make donations to mobile number 0917 906 3081, thru GCash.
3.) BUY or SIGN UP to our AFFILIATE PARTNERS.
4.) Give this news article a THUMBS UP, and Leave a Comment (at Least Five Words).

---

AFFILIATE PARTNERS

World Class Nutritional Supplements - Buy Highest Quality Products, Purest Most Healthy Ingredients, Direct to your Door! Up to 90% OFF.
Join LiveGood Today - A company created to satisfy the world's most demanding leaders and entrepreneurs, with the best compensation plan today.

---