DOTr: Over half of MRT 3’s tracks replaced

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Tuesday that it would be able to finish replacing the tracks of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 five months ahead of its original target of February 2021.

Over half of the entire rail tracks (36,540 of 65,892 linear meters) have already been replaced, it reported. Around 5,600 linear meters were replaced in the past weeks after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases allowed the MRT 3 and 12 other high impact “Build, Build, Build” projects to resume limited works.

The rail replacement is part of the 43-month rehabilitation program for the MRT 3.

A factor in the speedy deterioration of Metro Manila’s busiest railway, according to the DOTr, was the vibration-induced breakdowns due to the old tracks.