New LRVs may be on track by June - MRT official

A least 48 Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 can be used by June, an MRT official said.

The LRVs are currently being tested for safety certification and the process may last until June, said MRT Officer in Charge Deo Manalo in the report of GMA News' Mark Salazar on "24 Oras."

Once finished, the carriages will be rolled out to address the carriage shortage and lessen service interruptions caused by mechanical problems.

"We're targeting May, but it can last up to June so antayin lang natin yung process. Even the old ones, meron tayong general overhaul na nangyayari ngayon. The first LRV na na-overhaul will come out soon," Manalo said.

Manalo said there were only a few configurations that have to be done on the LRVs.

He was referring to the statement of PBA Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles, who said the LRVs purchased were not compatible with the existing transport system.

The LRVs were purchased from China's Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. for P3.8 billion. The maintenance contract, meanwhile, cost P3.8 billion, was signed with the Korean firm Busan Universal Rail Inc.

Manalo gave the update hours after smoke was detected in one of the carriages on the MRT-3 northbound line, which caused an interruption in services at 7:07 a.m. on Wednesday.

He said the interruption was related to the circuit breaker of the defective carriage's airconditioning unit.

"After that, meron kaming technician na sasakay sa tren, titingnan kung ano talaga yung problema. kung pwede pa siyang tumuloy o hindi," Manalo explained.

"Hindi man siya seryoso, kailangan naming i-stop yung operation ng tren na yun. And now nasa depot na siya for review or investigation," he added. — Rie Takumi/BAP, GMA News