MRT-3 smoke caused by faulty regulator

The smoke that filled a southbound Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) train between GMA-Kamuning and Araneta-Center Cubao stations on Friday afternoon was caused by a faulty regulator.

In an incident report, the MRT-3 management said the regulator board, which controls the train’s electric current, emitted smoke at around 1:36 p.m., forcing passengers to open the train’s doors and evacuate the train.

The management said the smoke was initially reported at 1:36 p.m. after the train driver received reports of communication error, electrical failure and door failure in his diagnostic panel.

Upon contacting the MRT-3’s control center, the train driver halted the train between GMA-Kamuning and Araneta Center-Cubao stations to inspect the door failure, according to the report.

At 1:38 p.m., the train driver reported there was smoke under a passenger seat in the train’s middle car. Passengers were also reported to have forced the doors open to get off the train, the report said.

The driver then grabbed a fire extinguisher to try and put out the smoke. The MRT-3 management then immediately limited its operations from Shaw Boulevard to Taft Avenue stations.

At 2:00 p.m., a fire truck was dispatched in front of the Mega Q Mart near Araneta Center-Cubao station to suppress the smoke. The train driver was then guiding passengers to the station platform.

Fire fighters put out the smoke at 2:07 p.m., the report said. MRT-3 operations director Mike Capati then boarded the train for inspection as it was being brought back to the depot for further investigation.

At a press briefing after the incident, Capati said about 500 to 600 commuters were offloaded by the defective train.

Capati said there was no fire caused by the regulator, only smoke.

“We can assure you that all our trains in the revenue line are safe. We try to maintain the trains,” Capati assured the commuting public. “These incidents are unavoidable. We cannot project (when these would happen).”