MRT management says 12 railcars found unfit for travel

At least 12 railcars or bogie frames of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) were found unfit for travel by its maintenance provider Busan Transportation Corporation of South Korea, Bernadette Reyes reported on "Balitanghali" on Friday.

Busan Transport found cracks in 12 MRT bogie frames during a regular maintenance inspection conducted on Thursday.

A bogie frame, is a metal frame where the wheels and motor of train coaches are attached.

In the same report, MRT general manager Roman Buenafe confirmed Busan’s findings on the 12 bogie frames, adding that wear and tear of the facility is just a normal occurrence.

“Totoong may cracks… Maski sa ibang bansa nagkakaroon ng crack ang bogie frames. This is a regular maintenance events,” Buenafe said.

“In fact, you could check other lines the Philippines they also encounter this,” he added.

Buenafe, however, assured that the cracked bogie frames were already pulled out from the rails and brought to the depot for repairs.

“Pag nadiscover na merong crack o lamat, inaalis ng Busan yung frame na yun, tapos meron tayong rotational spares na boogie frames, yun ang pinapalit,” Buenafe said.

Buenafe said the design of the of the MRT rails itself may be a factor for the frequent cracking of the bogie frames.

“Merong pagkakamali sila sa pagkamada ng bogie frame at isang component ay may tumutukod doon sa riles, kaya talagang magkakaroon ng crack,” Buenafe said.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) spokesperson Cherie Mercado concurred with Buenafe and said that the department intends to replace the MRT rails.

“Yung rail replacement natin, meron nay an plano. It’s possible din na nagiging dahilan ng cracks is because of the rails. Kailangan na rin talagang palitan,” Mercado said. —Elizabeth Marcelo/NB, GMA News