Abaya: Escalators in MRT stations now working

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said the initial batch of refurbished escalators in several stations of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) are finally available for use by the public.

The P22.1-million escalator rehabilitation project was awarded to Jardine Schindler Elevator Corp. in June last year and covers 12 escalators. The procurement was done through the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (PS-DBM).

“Passengers can expect a more convenient commuting experience with the rehabilitated escalators now up and running. The restoration of these conveyance facilities is a small step towards long-term progress that will make a valuable difference in the lives of daily commuters,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya claimed.

The projects to rehabilitate 34 Mitsubishi-brand escalators and to replace 32 “obsolete” elevators were still under procurement by the PS-DBM, the DOTC said. The former required a separate contract as the escalators were made by another manufacturer.

The DOTC also gave updates on the testing of new train coaches from Chinese train maker, Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co.

The second of 48 new light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the MRT-3 system is presently undergoing static testing. The dynamic testing, such as checks on acceleration and braking to ensure the reliability of components, is slated later this week.

The riding public will see a 67-percent increase in passenger capacity after the delivery of four LRVs per month from March until January 2017. Ridership in the MRT-3 currently reaches up to 600,000 passengers per day, well above its design capacity of 350,000 passengers daily.