DOTr chief: Train adjustments ‘at no cost to government’

MANILA, Philippines — Expenses needed for adjustments on idle Dalian trains, which would supposedly add to the freight used by the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3), should be at no cost to the government, said Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade.

“(All the costs will be absorbed by) Dalian without a single cent of expense from the Philippine government,” Tugade said in a statement yesterday.

However, details on the adjustments recommended in its audit report by certification body TÜV Rheinland would only be “finalized before a high-level government-to-government meeting between the Philippines and China on Aug. 20,” added DOTr in the same statement.

Tugade noted that the light-rail vehicles, procured by the Philippine government from CRRC Dalian Co. in 2013 for P3.8 billion, can be used “without sacrificing the safety, the security and life of the passengers and the system” as soon as issues identified by TÜV Rheinland would be addressed.

“In relation to the details of the terms of reference upon which the bid was awarded, (there are variations in the measurement and weight),” said Tugade.

Tugade last week met with Dalian officials and Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua and discussed the results of TÜV Rheinland’s audit and assessment.

TÜV Rheinland is a German company established in 1872. It is an ISO 17020 and 17065 certified firm and is one of the largest members of the International Federation of Inspection Agencies.

TÜV Rheinland has independently audited 2,353 train cars, 762 kilometers railways across more than 50 projects. – With Catherine Talavera