MRT to spend for compatibility adjustments on China coaches

The Metro Rail Transit line-3 (MRT-3) expressed willingness on Tuesday to set aside funds for possible adjustments to be made on coaches bought from China’s Dalian Locomotive and Stock Rolling Corp.

Aly Narvaez, media relations officer of MRT-3, said should the agency’s third-party consultant, after testing, propose that adjustments be made on the Dalian coaches just to get them compatible and operational, the MRT-3 management would be willing to spend for it.

“Kung magrerekomenda po ang ating consultant na may mga adjustments pong kayang gawin, at feasible naman po at viable,  syempre po ang direction natin ay i-increase po ang kapasidad ng MRT-3 dahil alam nating napakaraming pasahero.  Tayo po ay willing mag-invest sa mga adjustments na yan. Given po na tiyak na ligtas po ito para sa mga pasahero,” Narvaez said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990 AM.

Narvaez however added that should the Dalian coaches still prove to be unsafe despite the adjustments made on the compatibility issues, the coaches will be returned to China.

“Subalit kung hindi po talaga mapapatunayan, kung mapapatunayan po talaga na hindi po ito ligtas dahil sa compatibilities issues ay ibabalik po natin sa China,” she said.

Dalian, a Chinese train company, won the P3.8-billion contract in 2013 to supply the government with 48 new MRT coaches.

However, compatibility issues with the transit line’s maintenance and signaling systems have blocked the immediate use of the Dalian coaches.

On Monday, the Dalian coaches underwent an initial test run as part of an “independent audit and assessment” by the MRT-3’s German consultant.  /muf