MRT Express trial run pushes through May 7-20

MANILA, Philippines – Initially put on hold end-April, the trial run for the express trains of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) will push through May 7-20, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) announced.

In an advisory on Monday, May 5, it said the morning trial runs – all southbound – will be from May 7-20, during the peak hours of 7-9 am.

Three express trains will start at the North Avenue station – the first to pick up passengers at at the Quezon Avenue station; the second, at the GMA-Kamuning station; the third, at the Cubao station.

All 3 trains will unload passengers at the Buendia, Ayala, Magallanes, and Taft Avenue stations.

“This cycle will be repeated alternately with regular trains during the 7-9 am peak hours,” the advisory said.

Watch this report below.

During the afternoon rush hours of 5-7 pm, the express trains will start northbound at the Taft Avenue station. The first express train will pick up passengers stop at the Magallanes station; the second, at the Ayala station; the third, at the Buendia station.

All 3 trains will unload passengers at the Cubao, GMA-Kamuning, Quezon Avenue, and North Avenue stations. This cycle will be repeated alternately with regular trains during the peak hours.

The MRT 3 system services 580,000 passengers daily – beyond its designed capacity of only 360,000 and its “crush capacity” of 500,000.

The DOTC has congestion at the MRT will be solved by the acquisition of 48 train cars, but the first batch of cars won’t arrive until 2015. – Rappler.com