TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES

938 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

Civil Engineering Department

AN EVALUATION OF SELECTED
EXISTING TRASPORTATION SYSTEM
(MRT-3)

Submitted by:
Del Rosario, Mark Christopher F.
Blanco, Ferdinand L.
CE42FA1

Submitted to:
Engr. Edgardo P. Pea
INSTRUCTOR

Date of Submission:
May 24, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
BRIEF HISTORY
TECHNICAL DATA
EVALUATION

Station facilities, amenities, and services

Safety
Rules Implemented
Security
Rolling stock
Tracks And Guideways
Ticketing System
Fare Adjustment
Depot
Plans

DOCUMENTATION
SUMMARY
CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATION
REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION
The Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3(MRT-3)
is Metro Manila's third rapid transit line. It forms part of the
region's rail transport infrastructure, which includes the Manila
Light Rail Transit System composed two lines which are the LRT1 and MRT-2 and the Metro Manila Commuter Express portions
of the Philippine National Railways network. The Metro Rail
system is designed to carry in excess of 23,000 passengers per
hour per direction, initially, and is expandable to accommodate
48,000 passengers per hour, per direction. The line is located
along EDSA.
EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) is the main road in Metro Manila passing through 6 of the
capital region's 17 local government units, which are:, Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong,
Makati and Pasay. This road experiences heavy traffic every day. And this causes major dilemma on the
commuters and on the officials in charge like the MMDA. This situation is the reason of constant
accidents in different areas of this road.
This is the main reason why MRT-3 is constructed. The MRT-3 is a relevant part of the
Department of Transportation & Communication's (DOTC) strategy to solve the chronic traffic
congestion experienced along the EDSA Highway. Although originally intended to decongest EDSA, the
MRT-3 has been only partially successful in decongesting EDSA, and congestion is further aggravated by
the rising number of motor vehicles.

BRIEF HISTORY
The MRT-3 (originally LRT-3) project officially began in 1989, five years after the opening of
the LRT Line 1, with the Hong Kong-based EDSA LRT Corporation winning the public bidding for the line's
construction. However, construction never commenced, with the project stalled as the Philippine
government conducted several investigations into alleged irregularities with the project's contract. A
consortium of local real estate companies, led by Fil-Estate Management, later formed the Metro Rail
Transit Corporation (MRTC) in June 1995 and took over the EDSA LRT Corporation.
Construction started on October 15, 1996, with a BOT agreement signed between the Philippine
government and the MRTC. An amended turnkey agreement was later signed on September 16, 1997
with a consortium of companies, which included Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Sumitomo
Corporation, and a local company, EEI Corporation, which was subcontracted for civil works. A separate
agreement was signed with KD on rolling stock. MRTC also retained the services of ICF Kaiser Engineers
and Constructors to provide program management and technical oversight of the services for the
design, construction management and commissioning.

On December 15, 1999, the initial section from North Avenue to Buendia was inaugurated by
President Joseph Estrada, with all remaining stations opening on July 20, 2000. However, ridership was
initially far below expectations, with passengers complaining of the stations' steep stairs and the general
lack of connectivity with other modes of public transportation. Passengers also complained of high ticket
prices, with the maximum fare of 34 at the time being significantly higher than a comparable journey
on those lines operated by the LRTA and PNR. Although the MRTC projected 300,000-400,000
passengers riding the system daily, in the first month of operation the system saw a ridership of only
40,000 passengers daily. The system was even criticized as a white elephant alongside the Manila Light
Rail Transit Systemand the Metro Manila Skyway.
To alleviate passenger complaints, the MRTC later retrofitted stations with escalators and
elevators for easier access, as well as reducing passenger fares. By 2004, the MRT-3 had the highest
ridership of the three lines, with 400,000 passengers daily.

TECHNICAL DATA
MRT-3 is an operational electricity powered
Rapid Transit that is currently running along its 13
stations namely, from north to south: North Avenue,
Quezon Avenue, GMA Kamuning, Cubao, SantolanAnapolis, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Boni Avenue,
Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala, Magallanes, and Taft
Avenue. It has a passenger capacity of 350,000 a day.
Its span has a length of 16.95 km and its operational
speed is 6065 km/h (3740 mph).
Platform area of North Avenue station

EVALUATION
The MRT-3 line was evaluated in this section in accordance to the factors that influence
passengers in mode selection. This includes station facilities, amenities, services, safety, rules
implemented, security, its rolling stock, track, its ticketing system, and fare adjustment. Also included
herewith are the plans and undertakings of the MRT-3 management.

o Station facilities, amenities, and services

With the exception of Buendia Avenue and Ayala Avenue stations, and the platform level of Taft
Avenue and Boni Avenue stations, all stations are above ground.
Station layout and accessibility
Stations have a standard layout, with a concourse level and a platform level. The concourse is
usually above the platform, with stairs, escalators and elevators leading down to the platform level. The
levels are separated by fare gates.
The concourse contains ticket booths. Some stations, such as Araneta Center-Cubao, are
connected at concourse level to nearby buildings, such as shopping malls, for easier accessibility.
Stations either have island platforms, such as Taft Avenue and Shaw Boulevard, or side
platforms, such as Ortigas and North Avenue. Part of the platform at the front of the train is cordoned
off for the use of women, children, elderly and disabled passengers. At side-platform stations
passengers may need to enter the concourse area to enter the other platform or go through bridges
atop some stations, while passengers can easily switch sides at stations with island platforms. Stations
have toilets at the concourse level.
Most stations are barrier-free inside and outside the station, and trains have spaces for
passengers using wheelchairs.

Other Facilities
Radio Communication System
An LRT trunk radio is used to facilitate communication between Control Center and Train Driver
using the Mainline Channel, while the Depot Channel is used by the Engineering Department during
train movements at Depot Area and Emer Channel is used by Station's Operation.
Public Address System
The Public Address System is used to convey messages to passengers and station personnel. It
has 12 preset digital pre-recorded safety messages and 4 track tape console for pipe-in music, and 16
pieces 150 watts power amplifiers to obtain maximum loudness.

CCTV Monitoring System

This is used for monitoring passengers for safety and surveillance purposes. Cameras are
installed in various locations such as platform area, concourse and elevators. These cameras are viewed
and monitored at Station Control Room. While at Depot, cameras are installed at different locations and
can be viewed and monitored at the Yard Master Room.
PABX Telephone System
The System interconnects internal telephone calls and outside calls with the aid of auto
attendant computer. It maximizes 20 trunk lines for 32 digital local lines and 150 analog local lines
serving 16.9 kilometer main telephone cable with 14 Main Distribution Frames.
Station Building Amenities

Escalators
Elevators
Rest Rooms & Water Supply
Sump Pumps
Video Monitors
Supervisors & Ticketing Room

Shops and services

Inside the concourse of all stations is at least one stall or stand where people can buy food or drinks.
Stalls vary by station, and some have fast food stalls. The number of stalls also varies by station, and
stations tend to have a wide variety, especially in stations such as Ayala and Shaw Boulevard.
Stations such as Taft Avenue and North Avenue are connected to or are near shopping malls and/or
other large shopping areas, where commuters are offered more shopping varieties.
In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, passengers are offered a copy of the Inquirer Libre, a
free, tabloid-size, Tagalog version of the Inquirer, which is available from 6 a.m. at all MRT-3 stations.

o Safety
The MRT-3 has always presented itself as a safe system to travel in. So far, this has been
affirmed by the MRTC, the contractors who built the MRT-3 and even the government, and the MRT-3
has since been able to live up to that reputation. Safety notices in both English and Tagalog are also a
common sight at MRT-3 stations and inside the trains.
Incidents and accidents
Incidents and accidents are rare aboard the MRT-3, but there have been notable events throughout the
MRT-3's history:
Date
June 28, 2004

Station
Guadalupe
and Boni

August 12, 2004

GMAKamuning

February 14, 2005

Ayala

September 22, 2005

Araneta
CenterCubao

August 21, 2006

Boni

Event
A catenary wire broke between Guadalupe and Boni stations,
causing an MRT-3 train to stop between the two stations.
Passengers panicked inside the train and a minor stampede was
reported, although no one was hurt. The wire was believed to
have broken due to a fluctuation in the MRT-3's power supply.
Because of the incident, all MRT-3 services from Taft
Avenue to Shaw Boulevard were temporarily suspended.
Another catenary wire broke near Kamuning station, where a
southbound train headed from Quezon Avenue station was
stranded, forcing the passengers inside the train to walk to
Kamuning station. Service was suspended from Shaw Boulevard
to North Avenue, with commuters also asking whether the
incident was purely mechanical or incidental, as some claim that
the malfunctions were used to justify the MRTC's call for higher
fares.
A bomb exploded in an apparent terrorist attack on Valentine's
Day at the bus stop just below Ayala station, with an unknown
death toll. TheAbu Sayyaf took responsibility for the bombings,
which included attacks in Davao City and General Santos City that
occurred at the same time as the bombing below the MRT-3. It is
unknown whether any MRT-3 passengers were hurt or killed in
the bombing. The Abu Sayyaf claims that the bombing is their
"Valentine's gift" to the President. Three suspects, one
an Indonesian, were sentenced to death on October 28, 2005 for
their actions.
Strong winds caused a portion of an advertisement
billboard's tarpaulinto fall onto the MRT-3's overhead wires.
Because of the incident, thousands of commuters were forced to
take alternate forms of transportation, causing massive traffic
jams on EDSA. All MRT-3 services from Shaw Boulevard to North
Avenue were also temporarily suspended.
Strong winds caused the collapse of an advertising billboard onto
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, with part of the billboard landing
on the roof of Boni station at around 3:30 a.m. PST. Three lanes
of EDSA were closed due to the incident, which caused massive

October 22, 2006

Ortigas

January 5, 2011

Ortigas

January 18, 2011

Ayala

January 20, 2011

Santolan

January 25, 2011

Buendia

March 21, 2011

Kamuning

March 21, 2012

North

May 8, 2013

Guadalupe

traffic jams, while power had to be cut for a few hours after the
incident, since portions of the billboard were entangled in the
power wires. MRT-3 services were not interrupted.
An unidentified man was run over by an MRT-3 train near Ortigas
station around 9:00 p.m. PST after he was believed to have
jumped off a nearby flyover. The man, according to witnesses,
was a "rugby boy", or one high on "rugby" (rubber cement), and
was believed to be intoxicated at the time of the jump. MRT-3
operations were suspended for about ten minutes due to the
incident.
A 43-year-old man jumped into the railway in Ortigas station
Wednesday around 12:40 p.m. PST but survived.
The escalator in the Ayala station malfunctioned leaving 16
people injured.
A south-bound train stopped at around 9:52 a.m. PST near the
Santolan station after a break pad got stuck. Passengers panicked
due to the foul odor the brakes produced resulting to some
minor injuries.
A bomb exploded on a Newman Goldliner bus bound for Fairview
near the Buendia station as it was on the northbound loading bay
in EDSA-Buendia in an apparent terrorist attack by an unknown
group leaving 5 dead and several injured. As of today, no terrorist
group has claimed responsibility over the incident.
The third coach of one MRT-3 train set bound for Taft
Avenue Station got detached while it was plying the mentioned
route between Quezon Avenue and Kamuning Stations. The
detached coach stopped near theKamuning Station and no one
was hurt in the said incident.
The switch track near North Avenue Station broke between 7 and
8am, and was fixed by 9:10am.
An unidentified man jumped onto the tracks as the train was
approaching. The man reportedly held onto the tracks until he
was struck and killed.

o Rules Implemented
Passengers at MRT-3 stations are advised to not stay too close to the edge of the platforms to
avoid falling onto the tracks. Passengers are prohibited from eating, drinking or smoking and taking
pictures inside the platform area of all MRT-3 stations and inside the trains. Bags are also inspected for
prohibited goods, such as chemicals and knives. Passengers are also inspected by guards using a
handheld metal detector.
For safety and security reasons, persons who are visibly intoxicated, insane and/or under the
influence of controlled substances, persons carrying flammable materials and/or explosives, persons

carrying bulky objects or items over 1.5 metres (5 ft) tall and/or wide, and persons bringing pets and/or
other animals are prohibited from entering the MRT-3. Passengers are also prohibited from entering the
MRT-3 if bringing products in tin cans, citing the possibility of home-made bombs being concealed inside
the cans.

o Security
In response to the Rizal Day bombings and the September 11th attacks, security has been
stepped up on board the MRT-3. The Philippine National Police has a special police force on the MRT3,[27] and security police provided by private companies can be found in all MRT-3 stations. All MRT -3
stations have a head guard. Some stations may also have a deployed K9 bomb-sniffing dog.
The MRT-3 also employs the use of closed-circuit television(CCTV) inside all stations to monitor
suspicious activities and to assure safety and security aboard the line.
Passengers are also advised to look out for thieves, who can take advantage of the crowding
aboard MRT-3 trains. Wanted posters are posted at all MRT-3 stations to help commuters identify
known thieves.
The fisrt part of each train is also called the Female Area where only females are allowed to
enter and ride. this rule was implemented to protect female passengers and to avoid sexual
harassments and abusive events to occur.
Here are the lists of rules and advisories implemented:
GENERAL ADVISORIES
1. No eating and drinking in the paid area of the MRT3 Stations.
2. No spitting, littering and smoking inside the stations and trains.
3. Give priority to the elderly, pregnant women and persons with disabilities in using the elevators
and escalators.
4. Do not prevent train doors from closing to avoid delay and accidents. Instead, kindly wait for the
next train.
5. Passengers allowed in the first car of each train are females, persons with disability, senior
citizens, children with guardians, and pregnant women including accompanying husband.
TICKET MATTERS
1. For your convenience, the Exact fare Window is exclusive for buyers of Stored Value Tickets and
Single Journey Tickets paying exact fare.
2. Refunding of tickets shall be entertained ONLY after 20 minutes from the start of train delay.
3. Only VALID Single Journey Tickets (SJT) will be given a FULL refund, equivalent to the amount
paid, within three (3) working days from the date of train delay occurrence.

4. The Single Journey DISCOUNTED Tickets are available only to Senior Citizens (with any valid ID)
and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs: with valid NCWDP IDs).
5. Keep your tickets while inside the stations and trains. Lost tickets shall be charged additionally
of the fare from the farthest station.
6. Stored Value Tickets are valid for three (3) months from the date of FIRST USE. Expired tickets
will not be honored for refunds.
7. Single Journey Tickets are valid on the date of purchase ONLY.
SAFETY AND SECURITY ADVISORIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Do not lean on train doors.

Hold on to handrails at all times.
Do not go beyond the yellow platform tile edge.
Crossing and walking on the train tracks are strictly prohibited.
MRT3 reserves the right to refuse entry to passengers who are under the influence of alcohol
and. or drugs and who are in OBVIOUS state of mental instability.
For your protection, Safety and Security personnel are always present to assist you. Please do
not hesitate to call for their attention if you notice anything suspicious.
The following items are prohibited in the MRT3 premises:
Deadly weapons
Bulky and long objects
Food and drinks in unsealed containers
Inflated balloons
Quantities of flammable, poisonous and/or harmful products (fuels, paints, pesticides, etc.)

o Rolling stock
The MRT-3 runs light rail vehicles made in the Czech
Republic by KD (now part of Siemens AG) in a three-car configuration.
The trains are a gift from the Czech government.[39] Trains have a
capacity of 957 passengers, which is smaller than the normal capacity of
LRT Line 1 first generation rolling stock, although MRT-3 trains came
with air conditioning.

Inside an MRT-3 train

o Tracks And Guideways

its track is a mainline double tracks about 16.9 km consisting of elevated plinth tracks, at grade
ballasted track and bridge track. its switches and crossing are made up of 26 units on the mainline, 2
units at the access line, 48 units at the depot. its maximum gradient is 5%, its rail track gauge is 1435
mm weighting 54 kg/M and it has fastenings made by PANDROL. It has 9km elevated tracks, 7km at
grade tracks and 0.9km underground tracks. Its elevated guideway is typically spanning 3 at 30.00
meters and 3 at 27.00 meters. Its girder type for elevated guideway is AASHTO GIRDER 1-135 M span
steel Bridge at Guadalupe. Its guideway width is mast-9.0 with OCS and without OCS at 8.30 M and
made up of slab track & ballasted tracks. For seismic design ground acceleration (Ag) = 0.5 the same
with station bldg. foundation is bored pile.

o Ticketing System
MRT3 is operating an Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) System which utilizes magnetic strip
tickets as fare medium. The system uses a distance-based fare collection. The Automatic Exit Gate
deducts and computes the trip and records pertaining data on the strip. The Gate can handle up to 30
passengers per minute.

The MRT-3, like the LRT-1 and MRT-2, uses a distancebased fare structure, with fares ranging from ten to fifteen
pesos (23 to 35 U.S. cents), depending on the destination.
Commuters who ride the MRT-3 are charged 10 for the first
three stations, 11 for 45 stations, 12 for 68 stations, 14
for 911 stations and 15 for 12 stations or the entire line. A sample MRT-3 stored-value ticket bearing
Children below 1.02 metres (3 ft 4.4 in) (the height of a fare
the face of Former Pres. Joseph Estrada
released in 2000
gate) may ride for free on the MRT-3.

Types of Tickets
Two types of MRT-3 tickets exist: a single-journey
(one-way) ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination,
and a stored-value (multiple-use) ticket for 100 pesos. The
200-peso & 500-peso stored-value tickets was issued in the
past, but has since been phased out. The single-journey ticket
is valid only on the date of purchase. Meanwhile, the storedvalue ticket is valid for three months from date of first use.
MRT-3 tickets come in three incarnations: one bearing The design of the P100 stored value ticket
the portrait of Joseph Estrada, which have since been phased as of 2012. It also indicates the new color
designation of MRT 3
out, although some tickets have been recycled due to ticket
shortages, one bearing the portrait of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and one bearing the logos of
the DOTC and the MRTC. In the past, the MRTC was also forced, other than recycling the old "Erap
tickets", to borrow stored-value tickets from the LRTA, due to the same ticket shortages.
Because of the ticket shortages, it is now common practice for regular MRT-3 passengers to
purchase several stored-value tickets at a time, since passengers would not know when or what station
the tickets would be available at. Although new stored-value tickets have arrived, passengers still
complain of a lack of tickets at stations. Passengers also complain of a shortage of single-journey tickets,
with long lines at MRT-3 ticket booths already common and with the MRTC having to alleviate the ticket
shortages through alternate means.
Although the MRT-3 has partnered with private telecommunications companies in
experimenting with RFID technology as an alternative ticketing system in the past, these were phased
out in 2009.

o Fare Adjustment
Adjusting passenger fares has been employed by the MRTC as a means to boost flagging
ridership figures, and the issue of MRT-3 fares both historically and in the present day continues to be a
contentious political issue involving officials at even the highest levels of government.
Current MRT-3 fare levels were set in July 2000 under the orders of President Estrada, meant to
become competitive against other modes of transport. While originally set to last six months, the new
fare structure persisted due to strong public opposition against increasing fares, especially as MRT-3
ridership increased significantly after lower fares were implemented. These lower fareswhich are only
slightly more expensive than jeepney faresare financed through large government subsidies
amounting to around 45 per passenger, and which for both the MRTC and the LRTA reached 75 billion
between 2004 and 2014. Without subsidies, the cost of a single MRT-3 trip is estimated at around 60.

Fare Guide Table

o Depot
The MRT-3 maintains an underground depot in Quezon City, near North Avenue station. On top
of the depot is TriNoma, a shopping mall owned by the Ayala Corporation. It occupies 84,444 square
meters (908,948 sq ft) of space and serves as the headquarters for light and heavy maintenance of the
MRT-3, as well as the operations of the system in general. It is connected to the main MRT-3 network by
a spur line.
The depot is capable of storing 81 light rail vehicles, with the option to expand to include 40
more vehicles as demand arises. They are parked on nine sets of tracks, which converge onto the spur
route and later on to the main network.

MRT TriNoma Depot

o Plans
Recently, The MRT line is experiencing glitches and accidents. Many commuters complain on
their being late due to crowded coaches and long lines. That is why it is a must for the government and
officials to formulate plans to solve the current and future problems that the MRT-3 system will
encounter. Here are some of the plans formulated and expected to be accomplished by the MRT
management.

Capacity Expansion Project

According to Mr. Renato San Jose, MRT Director for Operations, the solution is to acquire more
train coaches to increase carrying capacity. Besides operating at overcapacity, San Jose says he sees
MRT's aging coaches as another problem. The railway system is now 14 years old and San Jose says a
system upgrade is badly needed. Passengers may have to wait for one to two years to see
improvements in the MRT. Forty eight additional coaches and a system upgrade are in the works,
expected to become fully operational only in 2016.
Due to the high ridership of the line a proposal which is under study by the DOTC and NEDA
proposes to double the current capacity by acquiring additional light rail vehicles to accommodate the
520,000 passenger a day requirement.

Automatic Fare Collection System

Automatic Fare Collection System involves the decommissioning of the old-magnetic-based

ticketing system and replacing the same with contactless-based smart card technology on LRT Line 1,
MRT Line 2 and MRT Line 3, with the introduction of a centralized back office that will perform
apportionment of revenues. The private sector will operate and maintain the fare collection system. On
January 31, 2014, DOTC awarded the right to build and operate the smart-card system to AF
Consortium. The group comprises Ayala Corporations BPI and Globe Telecom, Metro Pacific's Smart
Communications and Meralco FinServe, MSI Global, which developed automated fare collection
systems software in Singapore and Bangkok, and SMRT, which operates Singapores mass transit
system. It posted a negative bid of 1,088,103,900.00, which edged out the SM Groups bid of
1,088,000,000.00. Under the terms of the AF Consortium bid, there will be an upfront payment of PhP
279 million and the balance of 800 million will then be paid in transaction fees when ridership volume
reaches 750 million transactions per quarter. 72% of the total amount will only be paid to the
government in 2024 or 2025, and only if the conditional volume is met.

North Extension

Although much of the MRT-3 has already been built, the route envisioned by the DOTC and the
government in general was for the MRT-3 to traverse the entire length of EDSA (from Monumento to
Taft Avenue), eventually connecting to Line 1 at Monumento in Caloocan. The expansion has been
shelved in favor of the LRT-1's extension from Monumento to a new common station that it will share
with the MRT-3 at North Avenue, thus closing the loop. It is also planned that the southern terminus of

the proposed MRT-7, which will link Quezon City, Caloocan (north), and San Jose del Monte
City, Bulacan will be sharing the same station.
The National Economic and Development Authority and even President-then Arroyo herself
have said that the MRT3-LRT1 link at North Avenue is a national priority, since it would not only provide
seamless service between the LRT-1 and the MRT-3, but would also help decongest Metro Manila. It is
estimated that by 2010, when the extension is completed, some 684,000 commuters would use the
MRT-3 everyday from the present 400,000, and traffic congestion on EDSA would be cut by as much as
fifty percent.
On November 21, 2013, the NEDA board, chaired by President Benigno Aquino III approved the
construction of a common station within North Avenue between SM North EDSA and TriNoma Mall. It is
estimated to cost 1.4 billion pesos. It will feature head-to-head platforms for LRT-1 and MRT-3 trains
with a 147.4-meter elevated walkalator to MRT-7. SM Investments Corpration posted 200 million pesos
for the naming rights of the common station.

Transfer of operations from MRTC to LRTA

Recently a new study for the Metro Manila Rail Network has been unveiled by the DOTC
undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco that LRT 1, MRT 2, and MRT 3 will be under one
management, The Light Rail Transit Authority. This is due to maintenance cost issues for Line 1's
maintenance cost is approximately 35 Million only, Line 2 is 25 Million only, while Line 3 has a
staggering 100 Million maintenance cost. Another reason for this study is for the unification of the LRT
1 and the MRT 3 lines. According to DOTC Undersecretary For Rails Glicerio Sicat, the transfer is set by
the government in June 2011.
On January 13, 2011, Light Rail Transit Authority Chief Rafael S. Rodriguez took over as officerin-charge of MRT-3 in preparation for the integration of operations of Yellow, Purple, and Blue
Lines.[48] But with the entry of a new leadership into the MRTC that year and in 2012, the transfer is not
likely to happen, however on April 2012 a LRT-1 trainset made the first trial journey to the MRT-3 depot.
MRT-3 is reverted back as independent unit under DOTC as is currently headed by Atty. Al
Vitangcol III.

MRT-3 System Upgrade

The second phase of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT) capacity expansion project will soon be
underway. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said it will bid out the
P836.5 million contract to upgrade the MRT-3's ancillary systems next month. The project comes after
the DOTC signed the contract for the acquisition of 48 brand new train coaches from Dalian Locomotive
& Rolling Stock of China.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya stated, "As we increase MRT-3s capacity in order to
improve its facilities and provide better services to more passengers, we need to upgrade its ancillary
systems as well. With our policy of open and transparent bidding, we know that competition will lead to
a more advantageous deal, and therefore, more savings for government,".
The project involves the upgrade of the rail line's traction sub-power station, depot facilities and
the construction of North Ave. turnback and Taft pocket track extension. A pre-bid conference is
scheduled on May 28, 2014. Interested bidders are given until June 11, 2014 to submit their bid
proposals. The acquisition of new trains and the upgrade of the ancillary systems are part of the MRT-3's
capacity expansion project. The new train coaches will be delivered in monthly tranches starting 2015.
Dalian has committed to delivering all 48 new units by mid-2016. Also, the new contactless ticketing
system for MRT-3 and LRT 1 and 2 is expected to be fully operational by September 2015.
"While our long-term upgrades are still on the way, we are also looking for quick improvements
in the meantime. We have already extended operating hours in the morning, and are now
experimenting with the viability of an Express Train service," Abaya also stated.

DOCUMENTATION

SUMMARY
The MRT-3 is a rapid transit line that runs along EDSA road. its main purpose of construction is
to aid the heavy congestion and traffic experienced by the said Highway. Its construction started in 1989
led by the EDSA LRT Corporation and was later handed over to DOTC Management.
Inside each station are different facilities and services that meet the needs of its thousand
passengers everyday as they travel. Their safety are assured since safety precautions and rules have
been implemented and seen everywhere inside each station and is always reminded. Also, thorough
inspection of bags and luggage is practised before entry.
It has an air-conditioned rolling stock. Its tracks are secured and well made. It has an automated
ticketing system. And it has a large Depot area. It has a fare slightly higher than riding transport vehicles
like jeepneys and buses.
Currently, plans and undertakings of upgrade and expansions on its System and structure are
made to satisfy the need of growing number of passengers using it as their mode of transportation.

CONCLUSION
According to the study made, it was assured that MRT-3 is a transportation system that aims to
solve the problems of heavy congestion in EDSA. It provides passengers the option of travelling through
EDSA without experiencing heavy traffic on this road in a faster and more comfortable way. But as time
passes by, because of its popularity, more and more passengers tend to rely to this mode as their
primary option in their trips. This creates long lines and crowded coaches within its stations and inside
its vehicles that triggered complains from commuters. Thats why expansions and system upgrades is
badly needed.

RECOMMENDATION
For the MRT and DOTC management which is currently conducting a bidding for its system
upgrade, it is recommended to continue to seek for ways to improve the services that MRT offers for
passengers. Provide innovations in structure and transit vehicle technology, and strategies to avoid
crowded coaches and long lines.
For the MRT-3 passengers who already realized that this transit line is an important part of their
everyday journey going to different destinations, it is advised to diligently follow the rules that is
implemented for commuters safety. Understand the current situation and fare hikes in the mode and
cooperate with the management.

REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDSA_(road)

http://dotcmrt3.gov.ph/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Metro_Rail_Transit_System

http://www.solarnews.ph/news/2014/03/27/dotc-dost-grapple-with-mrt-sproblems#.U3sM8tLObrt

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/05/21/14/dotc-bid-out-mrt-3-system-upgrade

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/tag/mrt