DOTC adds 2 new LRVs to MRT 3

The Department of Transportation andCommunications( DO TC) expects to complete today the assembly of two new light rail vehicles ( LRVs) to be added to the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 ( MRT 3).

In a statement yesterday, the DOTC said the assembly of the two new LRVs for the MRT 3 started at the Taft Avenue station in Pasay City and is seen to be completed today.

The two new LRVs arrived in Manila on Feb. 17.

Last month, the DOTC started the assembly of another LRV which is now undergoing testing.

The three LRVs will be part of one train set. “Once testing of the coaches is completed, the new train set will begin running for public use before April 2016,” the DOTC said.

The three new LRVs are part of the 48 train cars procured from Chinese firm Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. under the DOTCMRT 3 capacity expansion project.

The first of the 48 new LRVs was assembled in August last year.

Beginning March, the DOTC expects four new LRVs to be shipped to the country per month until January next year to complete the 48 coaches.

The capacity expansion project is being undertaken to increase the railway’s capacity to over 800,000 daily passengers.

The MRT 3 which runs from North Avenue station in Quezon City until Taft Avenue station in Pasay City, has a capacity of about 350,000 passengers per day.

Earlier this month, the DOTC completed the rehabilitation of the Schindler- brand escalators of the MRT 3.

The rehabilitation of the escalators of the MRT 3 is part of DOTC’s efforts to upgrade the train system and to improve the service to passengers.