MRT-3 deploys additional train set on peak hours

The Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) announced that starting Monday, April 21, it will be deploying four-car trains during rush hours to cater to more commuters.

According to MRT-3, three four-car trains will be running during peak hours in the morning and afternoon, while 16 trains will retain the current three-car configuration.

Each train car can carry up to 394 passengers, which means a four-car train can accommodate over 1,500 passengers.

“Following the directives of the President to improve the daily plight of commuters, this move is part of MRT’s effort to ensure safe and comfortable travel while giving back time to commuters,” the MRT-3 said in a Facebook post.

This development also came after the MRT-3’s Holy Week maintenance, wherein all of the line's subsystems underwent annual preventive maintenance.

On Monday morning, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon inspected the operations of the MRT-3 operations to ensure that passenger flow remained manageable as the line resumed service after the Holy Week maintenance.

Dizon, who was accompanied by other officials, surveyed the passenger flow at North Avenue Station before boarding the train going to Santolan Station.

Dizon and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) chief Henry Aguda also explored the possibility of providing Wi-Fi access for commuters, “with MRT-3 being considered as the pilot line for the policy.”

Likewise, officials are considering implementing a cashless payment for those buying single journeys ticket at MRT-3.

Earlier this month, the MRT-3 also announced that it would maintain its extended weekday operations for an indefinite period after receiving positive feedback from commuters.

The last train trips during weekdays have been extended by one hour—from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at North Avenue Station, and from 10:09 p.m. to 11:09 p.m. at Taft Avenue Station. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News