The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) on Thursday conducted test runs on its first newly overhauled train at an increased operating speed of 50 kph.

In a video blog, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said the train, composed of three cars, was overhauled by MRT-3’s maintenance provider, Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Sumitomo).

“As part of the massive rehab and maintenance of Sumitomo mula sa bansang Hapon, ay nakakapag-overhaul na rin po tayo ng mga bagon na matagal nang napabayaan at ngayong inaayos natin sa ilalim ng administrasyong Duterte (from Japan, we can now overhaul train cars that have long been neglected and now, we’re repairing them under the Duterte administration),” Libiran said.

MRT-3 Director for Operations Michael Capati said aside from three newly overhauled train cars, the MRT-3 also plans to overhaul the remaining 72 cars by July 2021.

“Remember, yung mga nakaraang taon natin, panay ang sira ng tren natin. Ngayon, isa sa mga ginagawa ng Sumitomo ngayon is to rehabilitate and do general overhaul ng mga tren natin (in the past years, our trains broke down plenty of times. Now, one of the things Sumitomo is doing is to rehabilitate and do a general overhaul of our trains),” Capati said.

He said the MRT-3 management wants its trains to travel at 50 kph by November.

“Nag-increase na tayo ng 30 to 40 kph last October. Ngayon po magsi-simulate tayo, using the train, sa 50 kph na po na tina-target natin by November (We have already increased our train operating speed to 30 kph to 40 kph in October. Now, we’re using this train to simulate a 50 kph operating speed, which we’re hoping to implement by November),” Capati said.

He said the improved train speed was made possible by the overhaul of train cars and the rail replacements that were completed last month.

Capati said MRT-3 also increased the number of its trains running daily to a maximum of 22.

“Maganda ang maintenance program natin and at the same time, yun din po yung epekto ng pagkakagawa ng ating riles. (Our maintenance program is doing well and at the same time, this is the effect of our rail replacements),” he said.

In September, the MRT-3 raised the train operating speed to 40 kph, reducing the average waiting time of passengers from nine minutes to seven minutes. (PNA)