Longer operations for MRT 3 on weekdays starting March 24
Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Commuters can now ride the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) as late as 11 p.m. on weekdays after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered the extension of its operations by an hour effective on March 24.
At the North Avenue station, the closing time will be 10:25 p.m. and the last train will depart at 10:30 p.m.
At the Taft Avenue station, the last train will leave at 11:09 p.m. after it closes at 11:04 p.m.
The longer operating hours will only be from Mondays to Fridays. “Regular services during weekends will be implemented to give the trains [their] required regular maintenance,” the DOTr said.
READ: Dizon sacks MRT 3 general manager: ‘We need people who act really fast’
New signs informing commuters about the new schedule have been installed at MRT 3 stations.
More trains
At the same time, Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon ordered the deployment of more trains during the MRT 3’s peak hours in the morning and afternoon.
He directed the railway system, which runs along Edsa, one of the busiest thoroughfares in Metro Manila, to extend its operating hours after inspecting on March 17.
Last year, the MRT 3 served over 135.8 million passengers, which was 5.3 percent more than its ridership in 2023.
The average daily ridership also climbed by 5.1 percent to 375,474 passengers in 2024.
The railway recorded its busiest month in October 2024 as it accommodated over 12 million passengers.
Construction of the railway system began on Oct. 15, 1996, while partial operations from Buendia to North Avenue stations kicked off in December 1999.
The 16.9-kilometer-long MRT-3 railway line was formally completed and officially opened on July 20, 2000.
It has 13 stations: North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, GMA-Kamuning, Araneta Center-Cubao, Santolan-Annapolis, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Boni, Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala, Magallanes and Taft Avenue.
