LRT-1, MRT-3 glitches bug commuters

MANILA, Philippines — Commuters were inconvenienced yesterday as trains of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) malfunctioned yesterday.

In a viral video, a still unidentified male commuter forced open the LRT-1 train’s doors when he got stuck after it abruptly closed shortly after another male commuter got off before him.

Rochelle Gamboa, LRT-1 corporate communications and customer relations head, told The STAR “our engineering people were directed to check all of the doors. We don’t know which LRT train because we have 100 plus trains, but we are making sure that all doors are working well.”

She appealed to commuters to refrain from leaning on the train doors and forcing them open as these are among the reasons for the doors developing problems.

As for the MRT-3, at least 540 commuters were told to get off a southbound train after one of its motors failed upon reaching the rail line’s Cubao station in Quezon City.

The MRT-3 said a worn-out electrical sub-component might have triggered the electrical failure, but added that its personnel repaired the affected train shortly after the incident. 

“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the MRT-3 said. 

Around 5,000 MRT-3 commuters were inconvenienced during Wednesday morning’s rush hour after two of its maintenance vehicles collided in between its Guadalupe and Buendia stations in Makati City. 

The MRT-3 said around seven of its personnel were injured, but the Makati police officers who responded to the scene claimed eight persons were injured, including two security personnel. 

Some of the injured personnel have been discharged while some are still confined at the hospital.