MANILA, Philippines — Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) and Light Rail Transits 1 and 2 will have limited operations starting Monday, April 5, as personnel continue to undergo COVID-19 testing, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Sunday.
Meanwhile, the management of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) has announced that it will suspend operations until April 8. The DOTr said the PNR will dispatch 10 to 12 trains upon resumption of operations on April 9.
Starting April 5, the MRT-3 will operate on a limited scale with only 10 to 12 trains dispatched, the DOTr said in an advisory.
The MRT-3 trains will be operating with a capacity of 372 passengers per train set or 124 passengers per car, according to the department.
“Commuters who will be affected by the limited operation of the MRT-3, will be served by augmenting buses running on the EDSA Carousel route which can be accessed at the following MRT-3 stations: North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, GMA Kamuning, Santolan, Ortigas and Guadalupe,” the DOTr said.
Meanwhile, the LRT-2 will be deploying five trains for its limited operations. Affected passengers will be accommodated by bus routes 9 and 10.
LRT-1, on the other hand, will dispatch 17 trains. Affected passengers will be accommodated by buses running on Route 17 (Monumento-Edsa).
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has ordered that all rail sector personnel who have active infections and those still waiting for their test results to be kept in isolation and not be allowed to enter trains or rail facilities.
“Also barred from entering rail facilities are their close contacts who had been identified after contact tracing, as well as those exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19,” the DOTr said.
The free ride for health workers and Authorized Persons Outside of their Residences on jeepney routes identified by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board operating under the service contracting program shall likewise continue, according to DOTr.