MRT-3 adds 3 trains for holiday rush

The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will deploy three additional trains starting this week to accommodate more commuters ahead of the holiday season.

Returning Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said on Monday that the additional trains are expected to serve 6,000 more passengers daily as the government prepares for an anticipated increase in commuter traffic.

“We will add three more trains to MRT-3. That means an additional 6,000 passengers a day,” Dizon said.

However, he acknowledged that the additional capacity would not be enough to meet growing passenger demand, prompting plans to deploy more trains in the coming weeks.

“But that is still not enough. We need to add more, but I first need to speak with our Japanese partners about how we can do that,” he said.

Dizon said he would also coordinate with MRT-3 management to explore further capacity increases ahead of the holiday season.

He explained that the immediate deployment of additional trains was intended to accommodate the expected influx of commuters beginning Tuesday.

Aside from increasing train capacity, Dizon ordered the immediate repair of malfunctioning escalators at the station he inspected.

“I also noticed that some escalators here are not working, so we will prioritize those and have them repaired immediately,” he said.

The transportation chief said more measures to improve commuter services would be announced in the coming days.

To recall, the Department of Transportation prepares to privatize MRT-3's operations and maintenance under a P103.6-billion public-private partnership project, with the concession award targeted for mid-2027.

The government will retain ownership of the railway and control over fares, while the private operator will be responsible for improving capacity, reliability, and overall service quality.