Four-car trains to serve MRT-3 during morning rush

MANILA, Philippines — To scale up transit options in Metro Manila, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday began piloting the operation of six four-car trains in the Metro Rail Transit Line 3.

The MRT-3 four-car trains will be deployed during the morning rush hour to provide convenience, accommodate hundreds of thousands of commuters daily and ease passenger buildup between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.

According to the DOTr, the four-car trains can ferry as many as 1,576 passengers per trip. Each additional car increases capacity by 394 passengers against the regular configuration of three cars.

The DOTr said it continues to find affordable and safe measures to ease the plight of commuters, especially as the holiday season nears.

MRT-3 general manager Michael Capati said more Dalian train units would be activated. Procured in 2016, the China-made Dalian trains were left unused due to compatibility issues.

In March, the DOTr, then under Vince Dizon, extended the service hours of the MRT-3 by one hour during weekdays to serve commuters working at night.