Human intervention in latest MRT trouble? It’s a possibility, execs say

While a thorough investigation is still underway on the latest major glitch of the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3), a human intervention that led to the decoupling of MRT coaches is one of the possibilities the officials are looking at.

“Tinitignan namin kung paano nangyari kasi baffled kami. Lahat ng railway system may human intervention para maghiwalay kasi mechanical ‘yun,” said Roel Jose, a rolling stock specialist of the MRT-3.

(We are looking into how it happened because we’re really baffled. All the railway system needs human intervention to be separated because it’s mechanical.)

“Lahat ng train may fail-safe system. ‘Pag naghiwalay, mag-preno ‘yan. During our initial investigation wala kaming nakitang electrical fault or mechanical fault. ‘Yung mechanical na para magkahiwalay ‘yung  gear, it pertains to human intervention…Hindi yan maghihiwalay ng sarili nila eh,” he said.

(All the trains have a fail-safe system. If it separates, it will pull the brakes. During our initial investigation, we didn’t see any electrical fault or mechanical fault. In order for the gears to be separated, it pertains to human intervention…It can’t separate by itself.)

Train operations were disrupted on Thursday morning after a link between two MRT coaches got detached along the northbound track of Buendia and Ayala station, forcing passengers to disembark.

This incident was unusual from the almost regular cases of technical glitches suffered by the MRT-3. Two days ago, a passenger nearly lost her arm along the same rail line.

Engr. Ricky Inotorio said that power should have automatically shut down if there was a problem detected between coaches.

“Pero hindi nangyari ‘yun (But that didn’t happen),” he said.

Mike Capati, MRT director for operations said they are investigating all sides before they could establish what really happened.

“Lahat ng anggulo tinitingnan, lahat pinagsisikapan tingnan kung anong nangyari. Hindi pwedeng madaliin,” he said.

(We are looking at all angles, we are all working hard to find out what happened. It can’t be rushed.) /je