127 MRT-3 workers positive for Covid

THE Department of Transportation ( DoTr) said the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 ( MRT 3) would operate at reduced capacity after 127 of the rail’s depot personnel tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Starting July 6, the railway system along EDSA will run at reduced capacity. Some maintenance personnel at the depot were also on quarantine, the department said in a statement. MRT 3 has 1,700 depot personnel. The DoTr said from 16 ti 19 trains per day, only 10 to 12 a day would be deployed beginning next week. The passenger capacity of each train would be maintained at 153 riders.

“Sumitomo requested to discuss on a day-by-day basis the level of operations that they can sustain as results of the mass swab testing continue to be released. In the meantime, Sumitomo advised that they are able to continue with operations to service MRT 3’s tens of thousands of passengers, although at a reduced level,” Transportation Undersecretary for

Railways Timothy John Batan said in a statement.

Japanese firms Sumitomo Corp., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (Sumitomo-MHI) do maintenance works for MRT 3.

“While we try to do our best to keep the same maintenance performance through this week, we would like to discuss with DoTr

MRT3 office day by day, how much maintenance level we would be able to keep, in view of the number of Covid-19 infected people,” said Masanori Honda of Sumitomo.

Since Metro Manila shifted to general community quarantine in June, MRT 3 has been operating at limited capacity at 13 percent or 153 passengers per train, down from 1,182 riders.