A third Dalian train started operating on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 tracks on Wednesday morning as part of a series of tests to determine whether it could be added to the regular fleet.
MRT 3 management director Michael Capati said the train would carry passengers from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Feb. 1 for its 150-hour validation testing.
Earlier, the Dalian train completed the 1,000-km commissioning test, one of several set by the Department of Transportation to determine its compatibility with the tracks.
During the commissioning test, which is conducted when the MRT 3 has ceased operations for the day, the train must be operated without any passengers for a total of 1,000 km. Afterward, it will move on to the next phase which is the 150-hour validation testing.
Only two of the 16 brand new China-made trains have so far completed the validation testing. The first was deployed from Oct. 23 to Nov. 21, after the DOTr concluded that the Dalian trains were safe and useable despite minor issues with spare parts. The second ran from Dec. 11 to Dec 23.
Should these two pass the test, only then would they be added to the regular MRT 3 fleet, Capati said.
The train system is set to undergo a 43-month-long rehabilitation starting March—not February as earlier projected.
Before the tests, the Dalian trains had languished in the MRT 3 depot for about three years since their purchase under the Aquino administration.
An independent audit by TUV Rheinland found that the 48 light rail vehicles comprising the 16 Dalian trains did not follow some of the specifications in the terms of reference. However, TUV Rheinland said that with some minor modifications, the trains would be safe to use. —Krixia Subingsubing