MRT-3 deploys four-car trains, boosts capacity

To ease peak hour congestion, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) began deploying four-car trains on Monday, April 21.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon observed shorter queues during his inspection of MRT-3 operations following the addition of three four-car trains during morning and afternoon rush hours, increasing passenger capacity by up to 1,576 per train compared to the current three-car configuration.

MRT-3 plans to adopt a cashless payment system and enhance Wi-Fi access at select stations as part of ongoing efforts to improve passenger convenience and reduce long queues at ticket booths.

The deployment of four-car trains follows Holy Week maintenance, which included preventive maintenance by Japan-based Sumitomo Corp., ensuring the safe operation of MRT-3's subsystems.

MRT-3 operations were suspended from Maundy Thursday, April 17, until Easter Sunday, April 20, and resumed on Monday with enhanced measures to manage passenger flow.

In addition, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) announced plans to extend MRT-3 operations by an hour during peak periods and further study the implementation of a cashless payment system for single journey tickets as well as providing Wi-Fi access for commuters.