The Department of Transportation said Tuesday passengers can expect faster travel at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 after it raised the train operation speed to 60 kilometers per hour from 30 kph.
It said with the speed adjustment, travel time from North Ave. to Taft Ave. would be shortened to 50 minutes from the previous 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The improvement in train speed followed the rail replacement works in the rail line as part of MRT-3’s massive rehabilitation program which is being implemented by maintenance provider Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries from Japan.
The MRT-3 was able to complete its rail replacement works in September this year, several months ahead of scheduled completion in February 2021.
“The increase in train speed will provide our passengers a safer, faster and more reliable public transportation,” MRT-3 director for operations Michael Capati said.
The rail line gradually increased its train operating speed since it embarked on the massive rehabilitation project from 30 kph to 40 kph in October and 50 kph in November.
The MRT-3 trains can now travel from North Ave. Station to Shaw Boulevard Station (both bounds) with a speed of 60 kph and from Shaw Boulevard to Taft Ave. (both bounds) with a speed of 55 kph.
“During the first week of December, we have been performing test runs to ascertain the alignment and safety of railway tracks. We are targeting to increase the train operating speed to 60 kph in the entire revenue line before this year ends, when all system checks have been performed to ensure compliance to safety standards,” Capati said.
The last time the MRT-3 was able to run at 60 kph was in September 2013.
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