MANILA — No unloading incidents were recorded for the past week in the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) as spare parts procured by its management had started arriving last month.
This is a significant achievement for the railway system since a maintenance transition team took over operations last November after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) terminated its contract with Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) due to non-performance of its obligations.
“We can attribute this mainly to the arrival of spare parts wherein deliveries started February. Further, we also implemented improvements on our day to day operations and maintenance services such as strengthening our coordination processes and monitoring and information sharing platforms,” MRT-3 media relations officer Aly Narvaez said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Thursday.
She noted that the last unloading incident on the MRT-3 was recorded last February 21, 2018.
The DOTr earlier said that there would be improvements on the MRT operations once the general overhaul of trains was concluded after the Holy Week break and with the increase in the number of running trains due to the arrival of spare parts.
The DOTr expects the number of trains will be increased to 15 by April after its three-day shutdown during the Holy Week, when the railway management can fully work on the maintenance of the rail system.
Furthermore, an audit on the 48 trains delivered from Dalian CCRC for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) by independent audit and assessment consultant TUV Rheinland is expected to be concluded on March 10.
The audit would be vital in determining whether the Dalian trains could be used for the MRT system.
A Special Bids and Awards Committee created by the DOTr has completed the procurement of spare parts last December with a delivery lead time of 30 to 90 days wherein the initial batch started arriving last month.
The DOTr has also signed an agreement with Canadian firm Bombardier Transportation for the procurement of spare parts for the signaling system of the MRT-3.
The repair of the MRT system is expected to cost around PHP400 million and last for six months.
DOTr is implementing a four-point strategy for the improvement and rehabilitation of the MRT which involves promoting accountability through the termination of BURI’s maintenance contract; ensuring continued service delivery through the establishment of the Maintenance Transition Team; contracting a qualified maintenance and rehabilitation service provider through direct engagement of Sumitomo Corporation and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and pursuing an unsolicited proposal for the 30 year operation and maintenance of MRT-3. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
