Broken rail forces MRT 3 to shorten run

The management of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) said it would look into the integrity of the railway line’s tracks this week after a “broken rail” temporarily paralyzed operations on Tuesday morning.

MRT 3 General Manager Al Vitangcol III said in a text message that the inspection would be part of the operator’s annual maintenance works during Holy Week.

A broken rail between North Avenue and Quezon Avenue stations forced the MRT 3 management to halt operations from North Avenue to Shaw stations yesterday as the affected area was “not passable,” according to Vitangcol.

From 9:35 a.m. to 11:55 a.m., the railway line serviced only the Shaw to Taft Avenue stations. Full operations resumed as soon as repairs were completed.

Vitangcol did not say what caused the damage to the rail tracks.

The MRT 3 has recently suffered a string of mishaps, from a sudden braking incident on March 26 caused by driver error  to computer glitches that shut down parts of the train line.

In recent months, it has also drawn sharp criticism from riders for the long queues at its stations during rush hour.

Meanwhile, the MRT 3 will suspend operations from April 17 to 20, it announced on its Twitter account. Operations will resume on April 21.