MRT operations delayed for 30 minutes

MANILA, Philippines - The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 opened 30 minutes late yesterday due to prolonged maintenance work to replace worn-out rail tracks of the elevated railway.

Renato San Jose, MRT officer-in-charge, said the MRT opened at 5:30 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. following a delay in the removal of a maintenance vehicle, a Mercedes Benz multi-purpose four-wheel drive and medium-sized truck used in rail track maintenance operations.

San Jose said the maintenance work started Tuesday night and ended at 4 a.m. yesterday.

He said the delay was not caused by any glitch.

Officials said the maintenance work was mainly due to the changing of tracks in one section of the rail line.