MRT rehab falls behind schedule; glitches, breakdowns continue

MRT train derailed at Taft Station in Pasay City. Photo by Earl Jimenez / Twitter

Just days after an Metro Rail Transit (MRT) train derailed at the Taft Avenue Station in Manila, another train of the MRT 3 broke down en route to its destination; bearing witness to the dire need for rehabilitation of the transit system.

The series of glitches and breakdowns has thus forced the Philippine government to admit that the scheduled repairs of the trains has fallen behind, and this may be the reason for the frequency of the malfunctions.

Yesterday, An MRT train heading towards Taft Avenue Station stalled at the Buendia Station in Makati City, resulting in the closure of the stations from Shaw Boulevard to Taft Avenue from 10:30 a.m. to shortly before noon. The train system remained operational only between the North Avenue and Shaw Boulevard Stations. Thousands of commuters were inconvenienced due to the the breakdown.

In similar manner, a northbound train experienced a malfunction last Friday, as it was making its way to Santolan Station in Quezon City. The wonky train had to be slowly pushed to the MRT depot in North Avenue. This spiraled into massive delays of the train service, at the height of the rush-hour commute.

Both incidents occurred on the heels of last Wednesday’s MRT accident, during which an procedure to push a stalled train using another train went awry; causing the train being pushed to lose control and crash into the concrete barrier at the end of the line.

Thirty-six passengers were injured; suffering broken bones, bruises, lacerations, and contusions.

The trains involved in the incident were likewise considered total wrecks; having been damaged beyond repair. Thus, the already limited number of trains has been reduced even further.

An estimated 560,000 passengers daily rely on the train system. Because of the sheer volume of passengers conveyed by the MRT, one would imagine that the maintenance of the system would be of utmost priority. However, it has been reported that the coaches have not been rehabilitated for several years now.

Hernando Cabrera, spokesperson of the MRT 3, disclosed that the ideal rehabilitation timeframe for the coaches is at least every 8 years, but that the ones being used along the stretch of EDSA have not been rehabilitated since 2006, making them overdue for preventive maintenance.

“The majority of the light rail vehicles (LRVs) should be replaced and the remaining parts should be reconditioned as part of their rehabilitation,” Cabrera stressed.

Cabrera added that although the MRT 3 train system started operations 15 years ago, it has not undergone major rehabilitation due to lack of funding. He also pointed out that the trains of the 30-year-old Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1, the country’s first mass railway system, have since been overhauled with replacements of their major parts. Thus, the LRT 1, although older, is currently more reliable than the MRT 3, he said.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean that when the coaches get old, they should not be used anymore. Just like any other vehicle, as the trains get older, they need rehabilitation aside from regular maintenance,” Cabrera stated.

“The trains are worn out due to overloading. That is why a combination of maintenance and rehabilitation is needed to keep them running efficiently,” he added.