DOTr says sorry to MRT commuters for smoke on train

MRT-3. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) apologized to the 600 passengers affected when smoke disrupted the operation of a Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) train last Friday afternoon.

The MRT-3 management said the incident that happened between the GMA-Kamuning and Araneta-Center Cubao stations at 1:40 p.m. was caused by a faulty generator.

READ: MRT-3 smoke caused by faulty regulator

“The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expresses sincere apologies to those who were affected and inconvenienced by the recent smoke incident that occurred yesterday in one of MRT-3’s trains,” the agency said in a statement on Saturday.

The DOTr said passengers were safely assisted to the nearest stations, and regular service resumed at about 2:50 p.m., ending the day with 321,397 riders.

READ: Southbound MRT 3 train catches fire
The agency said fault analysis regarding the incident was ongoing and that it had directed the MRT-3 management to release to the public their findings at the soonest time possible.

“The DOTr appeals to the riding public’s understanding while it pushes ahead, in the most expeditious manner, strategies and actions to effectively and sustainably restore and rehabilitate the current MRT-3 system—a system that has deteriorated due to cumulative errors in policy and operational decisions made across several administrations,” it said.

The agency said it fully supported the MRT-3’s management in its efforts to ensure that its trains were operated safely for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who rely on them for their daily commute. /cbb