MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) served close to 30,000 commuters in the first week of its extended hours, ferrying mostly workers whose jobs are scheduled in the evening.
Based on records from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the MRT-3 ferried 2.14 million passengers from March 24 to 28, the first week of its extended operations.
From this, the MRT-3 recorded 29,350 commuters during the extended hours, with the ridership coming largely from workers either headed to or coming from work.
The DOTr noted that ridership during the period was influenced by the three-day strike launched by drivers group Manibela. The group held off their jeepneys from plying the streets from March 24 to 26 to contest the figures of the government’s program to modernize public transport.
In response, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon instructed the MRT-3 management to expand railway operations by an hour during the weekdays. He said the extension would give commuters a quicker way of traveling the metro at night.
Further, the extension comes at a time when EDSA is about to undergo rehabilitation works that Dizon himself recognized would lead to heavier traffic.
With extended hours on weekdays, the MRT-3 dispatches its last southbound train at 10:30 p.m., while the railway sends off its final northbound trip at 11:09 p.m.
Dizon also directed the MRT-3 management to add another train at the line during peak hours to transport more commuters at a faster pace.
Under previous leaderships, the DOTr was hesitant to extend the operating hours of railways. As raised by rail managers, trains have to undergo nightly maintenance to ensure they are always up to standard for the safety of commuters.
In spite of this, commuter and mobility groups had demanded the DOTr to extend MRT-3 hours until midnight. They said the MRT-3 runs along EDSA, one of the busiest roads in Metro Manila where thousands of Filipinos work at night in business districts like Ayala and Ortigas.
The MRT-3 ferried an average of 375,474 commuters daily in 2024, with ridership increasing by five percent to 135.89 million, from 129.03 million in 2023.
The Light Rail Transit Line 1, operated by the Light Rail Manila Corp., also extended weekday runs by half an hour in support of the DOTr’s policy on expanded rail services.