DOTr awards P80 M contract for MRT-3 maintenance

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has awarded eight contracts worth over P80 million for the audit, as well as various spare parts needed for the maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).

In a statement, the DOTr said the Maintenance Transition Period Bids and Awards Committee (MTP BAC) awarded the contract for the Independent Audit and Assessment (IAA) Consultant of the MRT-3 to TUV Rheinland for P45.31 million.

The approved budget for the contract is P48 million.

Covered by the IAA are all sub-components of MRT3, including the signaling system, tracks, and rolling stock, as well as the current fleet of 73 Czech-made trains and the unaccepted 48 Chinamade trains.

Based on the assessment and audit, the consultant would come up with recommendations to address identified issues.

Aside from the IAA, the MTP BAC also awarded the contract for rolling stock spare parts worth P8.66 million to Linkers Enterprises, while the contract for spare parts for tracks amounting to P7.33 million was won by Nikka Trading.

The rolling stock spare parts contract has a budget of P8.89 million, while the spare parts for tracks has P7.97 million budget.

Other contracts awarded to various bidders are trunk radio communications (P924,000), spare parts for power (P6.44 million), pantograph strips (P7.88 million), spare parts for overhead catenary system (P2.8 million), and various bearings (P1.98) million.

“Deliveries of some spare parts have commenced, and will continue over the next 30 to 90 days. We got the commitment of all suppliers to exert best efforts to deliver earlier than the prescribed contractual lead times, and our MRT-3 team will focus on realizing this,” Timothy Batan, assistant secretary for railways at the DOTr said.

The DOTr said it would continue to procure signaling spare parts and general overhaul services for the MRT-3 this year.

Earlier, Batan said the government is in the final stages of the exchange of notes with Japan for a governmentto-government deal which would pave the way for the entry of a new service provider for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the MRT-3.