The Metro THE METROSeptember to speed up rail replacements and other infrastructure works of the rail service.
In a media bulletin on Tuesday, the MRT-3 management said its train service will be suspended on July 4 to 5, August 8 to 9, August 21 to 23, and September 12-13.
“Rail replacement works to be done during the weekend suspension include turnout works for both the southbound and northbound tracks at North Avenue and Taft Avenue stations,” the bulletin read.
The turnouts are used to switch trains from one track to another.
To ensure that commuters will be able to continue plying Edsa, the bus augmentation program of the MRT-3 will be implemented, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Aside from rail replacement works, the weekend suspension will also allow MRT-3 maintenance provider Sumitomo-MHI to perform “rail destressing, rerailing, turnouts replacement, resurfacing, rail profile grinding, ballasting and tamping, and other major works for MRT-3’s trains, electrical systems, and other subsystems".
Once completed, it said the MRT-3’s train operating speed is expected to gradually increase from 40 kilometers per hour (kph) to 60 kph by December, with its headway— or time between trains—to gradually decrease to 3.5 minutes.
Following the announcement, netizens have mixed reactions on the scheduled suspension of MRT-3 operations.
One netizen, Henmar, in a comment on MRT-3’s post, asked whether the suspension can instead be performed at nights to ensure that commuters who work on weekends would not be adversely affected, asking for the resumption of other means of public transportation.
“Hindi po ba pwedeng gawin ng gabi? Hindi ba pwedeng partial lang? Kasi madami pa din pasahero ang weekend (Can’t they do it at night? Or just do a partial suspension on weekends? Because there are still many passengers on weekends),” Henmar said.
Irwin, another netizen, supported the move and hoped that the rail works would improve the MRT-3’s service in as little time as possible.
“Pagdating sa Shaw Station Southbound, dug! dug! bag! bag! tik! eer! Parang PNR (Philippine National Railways) lang. Sana mapalitan na sa mabilis na panahon para smooth and fast (Once it reaches Shaw Station Southbound, the journey becomes very rough, just like the PNR. I hope they complete it soon so the train service becomes smooth and fast),” Irwin said. (By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz)
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