Replacement works for MRT-3 rails kick off

MANILA — Replacement works for rails of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 officially kicked off Saturday night, which meant that operations for the MRT-3 had to be close early.

Operations at the MRT-3 closed as early as 9 pm Saturday (Feb 28) and opened late 12 nn on Sunday (March 1), general manager Roman Buenafe earlier announced.

Buenafe has many times stressed that safety of the passengers was always the management’s priority.

During the replacement works, MRT-3 management had to use 150 meters’ worth of stabling rails from the depot to replace the more critical portions of the mainline between Taft Avenue and Magallanes.

Stabling rails are the end-portion of the tracks located within the MRT-3 depot, and are intended to be used as parking facilities for light rail vehicles (LRVs) which are not in use.

LRVs run on the stabling rails at less than five kilometers per hour (kph) until they come to a full stop, without any passengers on board.

No specific timetable has been released yet, the DOTC and MRT-3 will calculate how many more early-close, late-open weekends will be implemented in the coming months.

Both are going to conduct time-and-motion study during the actual works this weekend.

At present, MRT-3 management and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) are exerting its best efforts to improve the country’s rail systems at the soonest possible time.