'Early close, late open' weekend sked for MRT

Graphic by 9News

The Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) will carry out an "early close, late open" this coming weekend to make way for rail replacement, which has been long overdue.

Operations on Saturday (February 28) will still start at 4:30 a.m. but will end at 9 p.m. instead of the usual 11 p.m. closing.

Opening time on Sunday (March 1) will be adjusted to 12 noon instead of the usual 4:30 a.m., but trains will service commuters until the standard 11 p.m. closing.

The stretch of rails to be replaced will be from the Taft and Magallanes stations.

Maintenance provider Global APT started pre-welding the new rails on Tuesday (February 24) to hasten the entire process.

The replacement rails used for this weekend's repair will be taken from the area where the MRT trains are parked. They were previously used as stabling rails, according to Bob Sobrepeña, chairman of MRT Holdings II Inc.

While the MRT's private owners expressed disappointment over the management's failure to attain proper permission in using the stabling rails for the repairs, MRT General Manager Roman Buenafe said that commuter safety is their top priority.

"Kaligtasan ng tao ang aking inuuna dito - public safety, public welfare," Beunafe said.

Meanwhile, 6,000 meters of MRT rails have been declared in critical condition.

Buenafe admitted that the only remedy would be total rail replacement. The new rails are expected to arrive in June.

Replacing the rails will improve MRT-3 services in terms of safety and speed.

With the current tracks, trains are only made to run 40kph, as opposed to the ideal speed, 65kph.

Bing Zaide, Global APT spokesperson, also mentioned the acquisition of new welding kits, which would help them carry out repairs faster.

Rehabilitation of the MRT comfort rooms, on the other hand, will begin on Thursday (February 26).

Comfort rooms located at the North Avenue station will be on top of the list.

The schedule changes in MRT-3 operations will only take effect this weekend.

Announcements regarding future rails replacement have not been made. -9News Online from a report by Patricia de Leon