Poe: Increased running trains a good improvement for MRT

Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER.net / CATHY MIRANDA

Senator Grace Poe hopes the Department of Transportation (DOTr) could fulfill its promise of increasing the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) running trains to 20, as she lauded the agency for the 13 running trains on Tuesday.

“We commend the Department of Transportation for the maintenance and repair works on the MRT that gave us 13 running trains to date,” Poe said in a statement.

“We hope this will be the start of the promised resurrection of MRT’s services and the reversal of its abysmal record of unfortunate events. We also hope this would alleviate the sufferings of the commuters who brave the long queues every day to get a ride, and often get off-loaded when the train encounters technical glitches,” she added.

The senator, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, reiterated her call for a comprehensive program to rehabilitate and maintain the MRT in a bid to ensure its safe and efficient operation.

“We look forward to the DOTr’s promise to increase the running trains to 20, each having four-car configuration to transport more passengers at a faster pace,” Poe said.

Although she admitted that there is still a long way to go before the country could have a train system at par with developed countries, Poe said 13 and soon, 20 trains “are better than seven or eight” trains during the past months.

“We will keep watch until we have a train system that is affordable, efficient, safe and comfortable, because the public deserves no less,” she added.

Last Monday, the MRT 3 deployed 15 trains after they conducted extensive maintenance work during a five-day Holy Week break.

This was the first time the MRT deployed 15 running trains since Jan. 5.

Aly Narvaez, MRT-3 media relations officer, said the decrease in the number of running trains on Tuesday was due to minor troubleshooting, repair and replacement of some parts of trains.

With more trains, waiting intervals and queuing time of commuters were also reduced, according to Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan, of the DOTr.

Batan said their next target was to restore the number of available trains to 20 with the takeover of the train line’s rehabilitation and maintenance provider. /jpv

READ: MRT 3 running 15 trains again after repairs