MANILA, Philippines – About 780 passengers were offloaded on Tuesday afternoon from a southbound Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT-3) train after it suffered an electrical failure in motor.

The MRT-3 management said the train was stalled around 1:01 p.m. and the passengers were unloaded at the Ayala station.

The passengers were loaded in the next train, which arrived 11 minutes later, it added.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience,” it said in a statement.

The MRT-3 management said that the motor problem could have been caused by worn-out electrical sub-components such as the main chopper, regulator, insulator.

It added that remedial measures include preventive maintenance and replacement of electrical components.

The revenue operations including the passenger ridership and ticket sales of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) has declined in 2018, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

Based on the COA report, this is due to the low number of trains used.

“With only an average of 13 out of the 24 train sets plying on the rail tracks, thereby heightening the discomfort of the riding public,” according to the report.

From over 140 million passengers recorded in 2017, it went down to 104 million in 2018. This dropped the MRT-3’s revenue to P2.07 billion from P2.78 billion.

COA reiterated the need for the MRT-3 to fix the train system.

Meanwhile, the MRT-3 is currently conducting rehabilitation for their train system which is set to be completed in 2020.

The UNTV News and Rescue asked the management of the MRT-3 for comment and is still awaiting their response.—AAC (with reports from Harlene Delgado)

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) maintains that minimum fare in MRT Line 3 will remain despite the ongoing rehabilitation works on the train system.

According to Transport Undersecretary Timothy John Batan, unless commuters experience full convenience and observe significant improvements in the MRT Line 3 system, there is no reason for any fare increase.

Meanwhile, the Department is expected to achieve its target train speed of 60 km. and the completion of its rehabilitation efforts including the replacement of new rail tracks and the addition of new train coaches by the year 2021.

Once completed, the MRT Line 3’s full operation is expected to accommodate up to 600,000 passengers every day. – MNP (with reports from Rosalie Coz)