Clear direction on Dalian issue eyed this week

The government is expected to have a clearer direction on the fate of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) trains built by Chinese company CRRC Dalian Co. Ltd. this week after a high level meeting to be held in Beijing.

The country’s economic cluster secretaries along with their Chinese counterparts are set to meet from Aug. 22 to 24 in Beijing to tackle the government’s Build Build Build program and projects concerning the Chinese goverment.

One of the things that is expected to be discussed during the meetings is the issue on the Dalian, according to Transportation Communications director Goddes Libiran.

“Certainly a clearer direction on the Dalian issue will be set right after the meeting,” Libiran told The STAR.

Last month, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced the completion of the independent audit and assessment for MRT-3 and the 48 light rail vehicles (LRVs) conducted by German firm TUV Rheinland.

He also met with the chairman of CRRC Dalian and other senior representatives, as well as with Ambassador Zhao Jianhua of China to discuss results of the independent audit and assessment.

Tugade insisted that the cost for technical adjustments relating to the 48 train cars from CRRC Dalian of China should be shouldered by the company, and not by the Philippine government.

Tugade said based on the independent audit, the Dalian trains can still be used if the adjustments identified in the audit are addressed, without sacrificing the safety, the security, and life of the passengers and the system.”

Concerns were earlier raised with the 48 LRVs procured by the previous administration for P3.8 billion after they exceeded the weight prescribed in the terms of reference (49,700 kilograms vs. 46,300 kilograms).