DOTC to start MRT-3 rail replacement project

The Department of Transportation and Communications ( DOTC) is set to start the rail rehabilitation project for the Metro Rail Transit line 3 ( MRT- 3) with the delivery last week of brand new steel rails to ensure safer and smoother rides.

The agency accepted the delivery of 7,296 meters of brand- new steel rails to replace the worn- out segments of MRT-3.

In January, the DOTC awarded a P61.5 million contract to the Jorgman-DaewooMBTech joint venture for the supply of 608 pieces of 12-meter steel rails for MRT-3. The joint venture is composed Jorgman Planning & Development Corp., Korea's Daewoo Group, and MBTech Group of Germany.

The DOTC-MRT-3 management is preparing the schedule for the installation of the steel rails delivered last week.

According to DOTC, work would be conducted during non-operating hours to avoid any disruptions to the rail line's services.

The rehabilitation works would draw largely from the time-and-motion study of the replacement efforts done in previous months.

The DOTC and MRT-3 management implemented several rounds of critical rail replacement works earlier this year.

The government used the tracks located within the MRT-3 depot designed for parking purposes facilities but not in actual or regular use to replace 348 meters between the Magallanes and Taft Ave. stations and another 126 meters between the Santolan and Ortigas stations.

Operations of MRT-3 have been disrupted several times due to broken rails prompting the mass transit system to operate partially until the damaged rails were replaced.

One of its trains overshot the Taft Avenue station in August last year injuring close to 40 passengers.