MRT using Dalian-made train for a week now as part of tests

The Metro Rail Transit has been using a Dalian-made train set for over a week now during off-peak hours as part of the tests on the coaches that have been the cause for concern for a few years now.

According to Saleema Refran's exclusive report in Balitanghali on Wednesday, a train set, composed of three light rail vehicles or coaches, has been running between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The Chinese-made Dalian train sets need to complete 150 hours of successful operations before the MRT-3 management and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) could determine their safety and reliability.

Forty-eight Dalian train vehicles, which were delivered in 2015, will undergo the test runs.

Moreover, an engineer from CRRC Dalian Co. Ltd. accompanies the operators and passengers for safety.

Each Dalian train set has a 1,182 passenger-capacity.

The look of the trains' interior is not far from the old MRT trains, except for the new set of seats and handrails.

No glitch has been reported, so far, according to MRT-3.

Dalian trains have previously remained idle because of some compatibility issues raised by the DOTr.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade eventually declared that they could be used "without compromising passenger safety and security," after an audit conducted by Germany's TUV Rheinland.

Dalian trains, once fully operational, are expected to help address the issue of passenger congestion in the transit system. —Dona Magsino/NB, GMA News