MANILA — A three-car Dalian train set resumed operations on MRT-3 on Christmas Day as part of the government’s move to boost capacity during the holiday rush.
The deployment follows a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to roll out additional train sets to serve more commuters this Christmas season.
The return of the Dalian trains coincided with the final day of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) “12 Days of Christmas: Free Ride” program, which offers free rides to passengers on LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the additional train set would help ease congestion and speed up travel for commuters on Christmas Day.
“The deployment of additional train sets is a big help, especially given their large capacity. More passengers can be accommodated, allowing faster trips, particularly during the holidays,” Lopez said.
He added that the Dalian train set underwent thorough safety and utilization checks prior to deployment to ensure passenger safety and comfort.
Each Dalian train set can accommodate up to 1,156 passengers per trip.