COA urges DOTr to hasten deployment of Dalian trains
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to follow up with Chinese firm CRRC Dalian Ltd. to fast-track corrections needed to deploy the 48 unused Dalian trains procured for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 in 2014.
In its 2022 audit report for DOTr, the COA noted how the Dalian trains continue to sit idle and nonoperational because the agency has yet to complete its supposed testing, commissioning, and final acceptance of the light rail vehicles.
Because of this, the COA said the agency was “depriving the riding public of the benefits of a more comfortable transport system.”
It urged the department to, among others, follow through with its proposed Way Forward plan to eventually deploy the Dalian trains by coordinating with CRRC Dalian and Japan-based Sumitomo Corp., which was in charge of rehabilitating the MRT 3 line.
The DOTr said it had already reached out to CRRC Dalian, which has not responded yet.
