Marcos: Three Dalian trains deployed to MRT-3 after decade

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on Wednesday that three Dalian trains consisting of nine coaches will be deployed for commercial use on MRT-3, nearly a decade after their purchase.

The Philippines acquired 48 light rail vehicles from CCRC Dalian Co. in 2014 but technical issues prevented their operation until now.

Only three train sets are currently ready for service following modifications and safety checks by TUV Rheinland and Sumitomo Corporation, marking the first time any of the Dalian trains have been used since purchase.

President Marcos noted that these trains have been unused since 2016 and expressed optimism about the project's success despite a decade-long delay.

Once all 48 Dalian cars are deployed, MRT-3's capacity is expected to increase with intervals between trains reduced from four minutes to as low as 2.5 minutes.

The MRT-3 currently serves around 380,000 passengers daily, and the President expressed optimism that public funds were not wasted on this project.