MRT3 PARDS TUBE LCD Screen 2019-12-15
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Metro Rail Transit Line 3, also known as the MRT Line 3, MRT-3, or Metrostar Express, is a
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
line in
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. The line runs in an orbital north to south route following the alignment of
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, namel ...
(EDSA). Despite its name, the line is more akin to a
light rapid transit A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medi ...
system owing to its tram-like
rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...
while having total
grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights ( grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
and high passenger throughput. The line is officially known as the Yellow Line. Envisioned in the 1970s and 1980s as part of various feasibility studies, the 13-station, line was the second rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila when it started full operations in 2000. The line is owned by the
Metro Rail Transit Corporation The Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) is a private consortium organized in June 1995. The consortium is composed of seven (7) Filipino-owned companies: Fil-Estate Management Inc (now Metro Global Holdings Corporation), Ayala Land Inc, Ramc ...
(MRTC) under a 25-year build–lease–transfer agreement with the Philippine government's Department of Transportation (DOTr), who operates the line. The line is integrated with the public transit system in Metro Manila, where passengers also take various forms of road-based public transport, such as buses, to and from a station to reach their intended destination. Serving close to 375,000 passengers on a daily basis, the line is the busiest among Metro Manila's three rapid transit lines. Total ridership significantly exceeds its built maximum capacity of 350,000 passengers a day, with various solutions being proposed or implemented to alleviate chronic congestion. Expanding the network's capacity to accommodate the rising number of passengers is currently set on tackling this problem.


History


Early planning

In 1973, the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (OTCA; predecessor of the
Japan International Cooperation Agency The Japan International Cooperation Agency (), also known as JICA'','' is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social gr ...
) presented a plan to construct five subway lines in Metro Manila. The study was known as the Urban Transport Study in the Manila Metropolitan Area. One of the five lines, Line 3, was planned as a line along
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, namel ...
(EDSA), the region's busiest road corridor. The plan would have resolved the traffic problems of Metro Manila and would have taken 15 years to complete. Another study by JICA was presented in 1976 which included the five lines proposed in 1973. The study recommended heavy rail due to the rising population. During the construction of the first line of the
Manila Light Rail Transit System The Manila Light Rail Transit System, commonly known as the LRT, is an urban rail transit system that primarily serves Metro Manila, Philippines. Although categorized as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it pre ...
in the early 1980s, Electrowatt Engineering Services of
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
designed a comprehensive plan for metro service in Metro Manila. The plan—still used as the basis for planning new metro lines—consisted of a network of rapid transit lines spanning all major corridors within 20 years. The study integrated the previous 1973 OTCA study, the 1976 JICA study, and the 1977 Freeman Fox and Associates study, which was used as the basis for the
LRT Line 1 The Light Rail Transit Line 1, commonly referred to as LRT Line 1 or LRT-1, is a state-owned (through Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)) but privately operated (by Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC)) light rapid transit system line in Metr ...
.


Development and early delays

The project was restarted as a light rail project in 1989. DOTC planned to construct a light railway transit line along
EDSA Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major Ring road, circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citi ...
, a major thoroughfare in Metropolitan Manila, which would traverse
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
,
Mandaluyong Mandaluyong ( ; ), officially the City of Mandaluyong (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly-urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...
,
Makati Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
, and
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
. The plan, referred to as EDSA Light Rail Transit III (EDSA LRT III), was intended to provide a mass transit system along EDSA and alleviate the congestion and growing transportation problems in the metropolis. On March 3, 1990, a letter of intent was sent by Eli Levin Enterprises, Inc., represented by Elijahu Levin, to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), now Department of Transportation (DOTr), secretary
Oscar Orbos Oscar Muñoz Orbos (born January 28, 1951), popularly known as Ka Oca, is a Philippine TV personality and host of GMA Network's '' Debate with Mare at Pare.'' Orbos was a former cabinet secretary, provincial governor, and vice presidential can ...
, proposing to construct the EDSA LRT III on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. On July 9, 1990, President
Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
signed Republic Act No. 6957, simply known as the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law; it took exactly three months later. The government then published an invitation to pre-qualify and bid for the project on February 21, 1991. Five groups responded to the invitation:
ABB ABB Group is a Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation. Incorporated in Switzerland as ABB Ltd., and headquartered in Zurich, it is dual-listed on the Nasdaq Nordic exchange in Stockholm, Sweden, and the SIX Swiss Excha ...
Trazione of Italy, Hopewell Holdings Ltd. of Hong Kong, Mansteel International of Mandaue, Cebu, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. of Japan, and EDSA LRT Consortium, composed of ten foreign and domestic corporations. EDSA LRT Consortium was the sole firm that passed the pre-qualification process, and submitted its proposal to the DOTC on July 16. The Build-lease-Transfer (BLT) agreement was signed on November 7. On September 22, 1992, DOTC and EDSA LRT Corporation signed a revised and restated BLT Agreement. The new BLT Agreement defined the project coverage in two phases: Phase 1, which spanned between
North Avenue, Quezon City North Avenue is a major road located in Quezon City within the Diliman area of northeastern Metro Manila, Philippines. It runs east–west through barangays Bagong Pag-asa, Project 6, and Vasra, forming the northern part of the North Triangle ...
and
Taft Avenue Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
,
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
, and Phase II, which spanned from North Avenue to ,
Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...
. The project was approved by the
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
on January 19, 1993. On May 6 of that same year, the project was launched by President
Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reached ...
. According to the agreements, the line would use light rail vehicles from the Czech and Slovak Federal Republics and will have a maximum carrying capacity of 450,000 passengers a day, or 150 million a year to be achieved, through 54 such vehicles operating simultaneously. The EDSA LRT III will run at grade, or street level, on the mid-section of EDSA for a distance of from F.B. Harrison, Pasay, to North Avenue, Quezon City. The system will have its own power facility. It will also have thirteen (13) passenger stations and one depot on government property at North Avenue. However, construction could not commence, with the project stalled as the Philippine government conducted several investigations into alleged irregularities with the project's contract. The
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
had a case barring Eli Levin from implementing the project in March 1994, and the bids were ABB and
Mitsubishi Corporation is a Japanese general trading company ( ''sogo shosha'') and a core member of the Mitsubishi Group. For much of the post-war period, Mitsubishi Corporation has been the largest of the five great ''sogo shosha'' (Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Itochu, S ...
, which also wanted to supply contracts. A year later, the Supreme Court upheld the regularity of the project which paved the way for construction to finally begin during the term of President Ramos. A consortium of local companies, led by Fil-Estate Management was later joined by
Ayala Land Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) is a full line real estate firm based in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation. It began as a division of Ayala Corporation until it was spun off and incorporated in 1988. It became publicly listed in ...
, and 5 others, later formed the
Metro Rail Transit Corporation The Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) is a private consortium organized in June 1995. The consortium is composed of seven (7) Filipino-owned companies: Fil-Estate Management Inc (now Metro Global Holdings Corporation), Ayala Land Inc, Ramc ...
(MRTC) in June 1995 and took over the EDSA LRT Corporation.


Construction and opening

On March 27, 1996, the unveiling marker was attended by President Ramos and others. The MRTC was subsequently awarded a Build-Lease-Transfer contract by the DOTC, which meant that the latter would possess ownership of the system after the 25-year concession period. Meanwhile, the DOTC would assume all administrative functions, such as the regulation of fares and operations, leaving the MRTC responsibility over construction and maintenance of the system as well as the procurement of spare parts for trains. MRTC would later transfer the responsibility of maintaining the system to the DOTC in November 2010. In exchange, the DOTC would pay the MRTC monthly fees for a certain number of years to reimburse any incurred costs. Construction began on October 15 of the same year, with a BLT agreement signed between the Philippine government and the MRTC. An amended turnkey agreement was later signed on September 16, 1997, with
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide '' sōgō shōsha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group. It is listed on three Japanese stock exchange ...
and
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...
. Sumitomo and Mitsubishi
subcontract A subcontractor is a person or business which undertakes to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract, and a subcontract is a contract which assigns part of an existing contract to a subcontractor. A general contractor, prime ...
ed
EEI Corporation EEI may refer to: * Earth's energy imbalance, the difference between energy arriving at and leaving Earth * Edison Electric Institute, an organisation representing parts of the U.S. electric power industry * Eindhoven Energy Institute, a departmen ...
and AsiaKonstrukt for the civil works. A separate agreement was signed with ČKD Dopravní Systémy (ČKD Tatra, now part of
Siemens AG Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the posit ...
), the leading builder of trams and light rail vehicles for the
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
, on rolling stock. MRTC also retained the services of ICF Kaiser Engineers and Constructors to provide program management and technical oversight of the services for the design, construction management, and commissioning. MRTC would later sign a maintenance agreement with Sumitomo and Mitsubishi for the maintenance of the line on December 10 of the same year. During construction, the MRTC oversaw the design, construction, equipping, testing, and commissioning, while the DOTC oversaw technical supervision of the project activities covered by the BLT contract between the DOTC and MRTC. The DOTC also sought the services of
SYSTRA SYSTRA is a multinational engineering and consulting group in the mobility sector, whose fields of activity include rail and public transport. SYSTRA employs about 10,300 people worldwide, and is a limited company which shareholders include Fr ...
, a French consultant firm, with regards to the technical competence, experience and track record in the construction and operations. On December 15, 1999, the initial section from to was inaugurated by President
Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...
, with all remaining stations opening on July 20, 2000, a little over a month past the original deadline, due to DOTC's inclusion of additional work orders such as the Tramo flyover in Pasay leading to
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ; ; ), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about south of ...
. However, ridership was initially far below expectations when the line was still partially open, with passengers complaining of the tickets' steep price and the general lack of connectivity of the stations with other modes of public transportation. Passengers' complaints of high ticket prices pointed to the maximum fare of , which at the time was significantly higher than a comparable journey on those lines operated by the LRTA and the PNR or a similar bus ride along EDSA. Although the MRTC projected 300,000–400,000 passengers riding the system daily, in the first month of operation the system saw a ridership of only 40,000 passengers daily (the ridership improved quickly, however, when passengers experienced significantly faster and convenient travel along EDSA, which experience soon spread by word of mouth). The system was also initially criticized as a
white elephant A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of without extreme difficulty, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, ...
, comparing it to the
Manila Light Rail Transit System The Manila Light Rail Transit System, commonly known as the LRT, is an urban rail transit system that primarily serves Metro Manila, Philippines. Although categorized as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it pre ...
and the
Metro Manila Skyway The Metro Manila Skyway, officially the Metro Manila Skyway System (MMSS) or simply the Skyway, is an elevated highway serving as the main expressway of Metro Manila, Philippines. It connects the North and South Luzon Expressways (NLEX and ...
. To alleviate passenger complaints, the MRTC later reduced passenger fares to , as per the request of then-President Joseph Estrada and a subsequent government subsidy. During the line's construction in 2000, Pasay residents raised concerns about the line being constructed at ground level, resulting in the closure of several intersections along EDSA, forcing people to take long detours just to cross EDSA. Residents also complained that they were not properly consulted about the line's construction in their area. The MRTC stated that the segment could not be made as an elevated railway due to the
air rights In real estate, air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the Earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by oth ...
above the LRT-1 already being awarded to the
Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...
for a flyover in 1996.


Overcrowding and later decline

MRTC projected a capacity breach in the system by 2002. By 2004, the line had the highest ridership of the three lines, with 400,000 passengers daily. By early 2012, the system was carrying around 550,000 to 600,000 commuters during weekdays and was often badly overcrowded during peak times of access during the day and night. The line operated beyond its original designed capacity from 2004 to 2019. In 2011, Sumitomo, through TES Philippines, issued a warning about the overcrowding situation of the line, in which a failure to immediately upgrade the line's trains and systems would result in damage to the trains and systems. By October 2012, DOTC removed Sumitomo as the maintenance provider of the line due to the high costs of the contract. With the entry of the joint venture of Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corporation (PH Trams) and Comm Builders & Technology Philippines Corporation (CB&T) as the maintenance provider in 2012, and APT Global in 2013, it marked the start of the deterioration of the line due to poor maintenance by the aforementioned maintenance providers that DOTC appointed. In 2014, there were reported daily incidents and disruptions, and a derailment of one train coach on August 13 of that year. The government of Benigno Aquino III had been planning to buy the line from the MRT Corporation (MRTC), the private concessionaire that built the line, and then bid it out to private bidders. The Aquino government accused the MRTC of neglecting and not improving the services of the line under its watch. In February 2016, the
Philippine Senate The Senate of the Philippines () is the upper house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives as the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large (the country f ...
released a report stating that DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya and other DOTC officials "may have violated" the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in relation to questionable contracts with the subsequent maintenance providers. In a Senate report where the line's condition was found to be in "poor maintenance" as per studies made by MTR HK, DOTC officials were reported to be involved in graft in relation to questionable contracts, especially those for the maintenance of the line. The DOTC tried to bid out a three-year maintenance contract in 2014 and 2015, but both biddings failed because no bidders submitted a bid. Through a negotiated procurement, the Busan
joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...
, a joint venture of
Busan Transportation Corporation The Busan Transportation Corporation () is a South Korean transport company based in Busan, that was established on January 1, 2006, following the abolition of the Busan Urban Transit Authority founded in 1987. The Busan Transportation Corporat ...
, Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMICorp Inc., and Castan Corporation, was awarded a three-year maintenance contract by the DOTC. The contract started in January 2016 and was slated to end by January 2019. In 2017, DOTC's succeeding agency, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) attributed the operation's disruptions of the rail system to the Busan joint venture, later known as Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI), with DOTr Transport Undersecretary for Rails Cesar Chavez noting 98 service interruptions and 833 passenger unloadings (or average of twice daily) as well as train derailments in April–June 2017. BURI insisted that the disruptions the railway line was experiencing is due to "inherent design and quality concerns" and not to poor maintenance or normal tear or wear. It said that glitches started occurring since 2000, a claim that MRTC dismissed when Sumitomo was maintaining the system. The maintenance contract was terminated on November 6, 2017.


Capacity expansion

Due to the high ridership of the line, a proposal under study by the DOTC and NEDA proposed to double the current capacity by acquiring additional light rail vehicles to accommodate over 520,000 passengers a day. In January 2014, the DOTC entered into a contract with
CNR Dalian CRRC Dalian Co., Ltd. (), often abbreviated as DLoco, is a company located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, producing railway locomotives, multiple units and diesel engines. The factory was established in 1899 during the period of constructio ...
(later CRRC Dalian) for the procurement of 48 light rail vehicles. The trains, commonly referred to as the Dalian trains, entered revenue service in 2016, and would have allowed the line to handle over 800,000 passengers. However, several issues and controversies prevented the trains from mainline operations; CRRC Dalian agreed in 2018 to amend the train specifications to match the contract terms at no cost. Due to the trains undergoing the said adjustments, they were slowly introduced into regular operations, which led to the start of the gradual deployment on October 27, 2018. Aside from the procurement of the new trains, the capacity expansion project included the upgrading of the ancillary systems such as the power supply, overhead lines, the extension of the
pocket track A pocket track, tail track, or reversing siding (UK: centre siding, turnback siding) is a rail track layout which allows trains to park off the main line. This type of track layout differs from a passing loop in that the pocket track is usually ...
near
Taft Avenue station Taft Avenue station is the southern terminus of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system located in Pasay. It is situated at the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's major thoroughfares, and Taft Av ...
and the modification of the turn back siding north of the North Avenue station. The original plan also included the upgrading of the signaling system. These upgrades would only be realized as part of the line's rehabilitation. Plans were also laid to increase the number of cars in each train set, from the current three cars to four, which also increases the number of passengers being accommodated for each trip, from 1,182 to 1,576. This was first mentioned in 2013, during the bidding process for the new trains. However, in January 2016, an anonymous railway expert warned that the power supply at that time was not capable of handling four-car operations. Despite this, four-car operations were first tested in a Dalian train in May 2016. After the rehabilitation of the line which included the upgrading of the power supply, a dynamic test run for the use of four-car trains for regular operations was conducted on March 9, 2022. Regular four-car operations began on March 28, initially deploying two trains for daily operations, subsequently increased to four. Although full conversion was initially planned to be achieved by 2023, all trains soon reverted to the existing 3-car configuration. Four-car operations returned on April 21, 2025, with three four-car trains being deployed during peak hours.


Rehabilitation

As early as 2011, proposals were laid to rehabilitate the line. An unsolicited proposal was made by
Metro Pacific Investments Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) is a Philippine unit investment holding company of First Pacific Company Limited through Metro Pacific Holdings, Inc. MPIC through its subsidiaries, provides water, sanitation, and sewerage service ...
in 2011 at a cost of ; MPIC submitted a revised proposal in 2014 at a cost of . In 2017, in the wake of various daily service interruptions in the line,
San Miguel Corporation San Miguel Corporation (), abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate with headquarters in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines. Originally fo ...
expressed its interest to rehabilitate the line. That same year, Metro Pacific submitted another proposal to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the line. These proposals however would be rejected by the government. Following the termination of the maintenance contract with Busan Universal Rail, Inc., the DOTr announced on November 29, 2017, that a government-to-government agreement between the Philippines and
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
would be signed by the end of that year, paving the way for
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide '' sōgō shōsha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group. It is listed on three Japanese stock exchange ...
to return as the maintenance provider. The project, partly funded by a loan from the
Japan International Cooperation Agency The Japan International Cooperation Agency (), also known as JICA'','' is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social gr ...
, was approved by the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) board of the
National Economic and Development Authority The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for national and regional economic policy, development, monitoring, and planning. DEPDev also oversees the pl ...
(NEDA) on August 17, 2018. It intended to rehabilitate and upgrade the existing systems and trains, for the line to return to its original high-grade design. On November 8, 2018, the Philippine and Japanese governments signed the loan agreement for the line's rehabilitation after both governments exchanged notes the previous day. The rehabilitation and maintenance contract was signed by the DOTr and Sumitomo on December 28. The project was initially slated to start by January 2019, but the delayed implementation of the national budget for 2019 caused delays, as around four billion pesos would be sourced from the government. On May 1, 2019, Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG), and TES Philippines assumed the role as maintenance provider for the MRT Line 3, beginning a rigorous rehabilitation process. Under the 43-month contract, rehabilitation works were to be done within 26 months. It covers the overhaul of all
MRTC Class 3000 The MRTC 3000 class or ČKD Tatra RT8D5M LRV is a first-generation class of high-floor uni-directional light rail vehicles built by Czech tram manufacturer ČKD Tatra. The LRVs are owned by Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), operated by th ...
vehicles, repairs on the escalators and elevators, rail replacement, upgrades on the signaling and communication systems, power supply, overhead systems, maintenance and station equipment. After the rehabilitation, a 17-month maintenance contract would be undertaken by the Japanese firms. The contract was originally slated to end by December 31, 2022, but was moved to May 31, 2023. The rehabilitation was originally scheduled to be completed by July 2021. However, delays brought by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
caused revised timelines. The project was completed in December 2021, as announced by Transportation Secretary
Arthur Tugade Arthur "Art" Planta Tugade (born January 9, 1946) is a Filipino people, Filipino businessman and lawyer from Cagayan who served as the Secretary of Transportation (Philippines), Secretary of the Department of Transportation (Philippines), Depar ...
on February 28, 2022. On March 22, President
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
and Secretary Tugade inaugurated the newly rehabilitated line at a completion ceremony held at
Shaw Boulevard station Shaw Boulevard station is an elevated Manila Metro Rail Transit System, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station located on the MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila), MRT Line 3 (MRT-3) system in the Mandaluyong portion of Ortigas Center. The station is named after ...
. As part of its completion, free rides were offered initially for a month to combat
inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...
, but was extended for an additional two months. On May 26, 2023, a loan was signed by the governments of Japan and the Philippines for the second phase of the project, covering the line's continued maintenance and its connection to the
North Triangle Common Station The North Triangle Common Station, officially designated as the Unified Grand Central Station and North EDSA for the MRT Line 7, commonly known as the Common Station or North Triangle station, is an under-construction rapid transit terminal ...
with the lines that would interchange at that station. Four days later, DOTr and Sumitomo signed a contract to extend the latter's maintenance in the railway line until July 31, 2025. Under the extended contract, the existing three-car trains would be expanded to four cars to cater the increase in passenger demand. Additionally, the
pocket track A pocket track, tail track, or reversing siding (UK: centre siding, turnback siding) is a rail track layout which allows trains to park off the main line. This type of track layout differs from a passing loop in that the pocket track is usually ...
near
Taft Avenue station Taft Avenue station is the southern terminus of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system located in Pasay. It is situated at the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's major thoroughfares, and Taft Av ...
would be extended to accommodate longer four-car trains, and construction works for the pocket track expansion began in November 2024. The program aims to increase the line's ridership capacity to 500,000 passengers a day.


Route

The lines run along the alignment of
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, namel ...
from North Avenue in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
to the intersection of EDSA and
Taft Avenue Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
in
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
, forming in a semi-orbital line. The rails are mostly elevated and erected either over or along the roads covered, with cut and underground sections between and stations, the only underground stations on the line. The rail line serves the cities of
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
,
Makati Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
,
Mandaluyong Mandaluyong ( ; ), officially the City of Mandaluyong (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly-urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...
,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
and
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
. The line crosses
Osmeña Highway The President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway (often shortened as Osmeña Highway), also known as the South Superhighway, is a major highway that links Quirino Avenue in Paco, Manila, Paco, Manila to EDSA, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and ...
and
South Luzon Expressway The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), signed as E2 of the Philippine expressway network and R-3 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a controlled-access highway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces in the Calabarzon, Mimaropa a ...
(SLEX) at
Magallanes Interchange The Magallanes Interchange is a four-level partial turbine interchange in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It serves as the junction between the Osmeña Highway, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) while al ...
in Makati.


Stations

The line has 13 stations along its route, spaced on average around apart. The southern terminus of the line is at Pasay Rotonda, the intersection between
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, namel ...
(EDSA) and
Taft Avenue Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
, while the northern terminus is the along EDSA in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa,
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
. Three stations serve as connecting stations with the lines of the
Manila Light Rail Transit System The Manila Light Rail Transit System, commonly known as the LRT, is an urban rail transit system that primarily serves Metro Manila, Philippines. Although categorized as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it pre ...
(LRT) and
Philippine National Railways The Philippine National Railways (PNR) (; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation, state-owned railway company in the Philippines which operates one commuter rail service between Laguna (province), Laguna and Quezon, and local servic ...
(PNR). The
Magallanes station Magallanes station is an elevated Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station located on the MRT Line 3 (MRT-3) system in Makati. The station is named after barangay Magallanes of Makati, which in turn is named after Ferdinand Magellan. Although the statio ...
is near PNR's station, while is indirectly connected to the
LRT Line 2 The Light Rail Transit Line 2, also known as LRT Line 2, LRT-2, or Megatren, is a rapid transit line in Metro Manila in the Philippines owned and operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). The line generally runs in an east–west d ...
station of the same, and is connected via a covered walkway to the
LRT Line 1 The Light Rail Transit Line 1, commonly referred to as LRT Line 1 or LRT-1, is a state-owned (through Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)) but privately operated (by Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC)) light rapid transit system line in Metr ...
station. No stations are connected to other rapid transit lines within the paid areas.


Operations

The line is open daily from 4:30 a.m. PHT (
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
+8) and closes at 11:30 p.m. during weekdays, and 10:30 p.m. on weekends. It operates almost every day of the year unless otherwise announced. Special schedules are announced via the
public address system A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
in every station and also in newspapers and other mass media. During
Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
, a public holiday in the Philippines, the line is closed for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro. Normal operation resumes on the first working day after
Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...
. During the
Christmas season The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...
, operating hours are usually extended on the days leading up to
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...
, but are shortened on
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
and
New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
to allow its staff to celebrate the holidays with their families. It has experimented with extended opening hours, the first of which included 24-hour operations beginning on June 1, 2009 (primarily aimed at serving call center agents and other workers in the business process outsourcing sector). Citing low ridership figures and financial losses, this was suspended after two days, and operations were instead extended from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 am. Operations subsequently returned to the former schedule by April 2010, but services were again extended starting March 10, 2014, with trains running on a trial basis from 4:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. in anticipation of major traffic buildup in light of several major road projects beginning in 2014. Responding to a commuter's concern on X (formerly Twitter) about the limited operating hours at night, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) explained in August 2023 the need for timely maintenance works, since any delays would affect other portions of the line for the next trips. The DOTr added that unlike the extensive railway systems of Europe and Japan, where 24-hour operations are possible, the MRT system only consists of one line. The department also claimed that if maintenance is not ensured, the line would "slowly deteriorate". On March 17, 2025, in the aftermath of the line's inspection by Transportation Secretary
Vince Dizon Vivencio "Vince" Bringas Dizon (born August 18, 1974) is a Filipino economist, consultant, and political aide who has served as the 41st Secretary of Transportation (Philippines), secretary of transportation since 2025. He also served as Pre ...
, he asked the line's management to extend its operations. Before the current operating hours were implemented, train services ended an hour earlier. The extended operating hours, which took effect on March 24, is aimed at reducing long lines during the evening peak hours. The DOTr also plans to deploy more trains along the line to serve more passengers.


Station facilities, amenities, and services


Station layout and accessibility

The stations have a standard layout, with a platform level and a concourse level. The concourse is usually above the platform, with
stairs Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical direction, vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps wh ...
,
escalator An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a Electric motor, motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the st ...
s and
elevator An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...
s leading down to the platform level. However, fare gates are located at the platform level in most stations, meaning that commuters will need to exit the paid area to catch a train going in the opposite direction. Switching trains without paying a new fare is only possible at the , , , , and stations due to their different layout. The station platforms have a standard length of , designed to accommodate trains with four cars. The stations are also designed to occupy the entire span of EDSA, allowing passengers to safely cross between one end of the road and the other. Most stations are also
barrier-free Universal design is the design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people, regardless of age, disability, or other factors. It emerged as a rights-based, anti-discrimination measure, which seeks to create design ...
inside and outside the station, and trains have spaces for passengers using
wheelchair A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...
s. With the exception of Buendia and Ayala stations, and the platform level of Taft Avenue and Boni stations, all stations are situated above ground, taking advantage of EDSA's topology. Stations either have
side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, ...
s, which is the case for most stations, or
island platform An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
s, such as Taft Avenue. Due to the very high patronage of the line, before the pandemic, part of the platform corresponding to the first car of the train is cordoned off for the use of
senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...
s, pregnant women, children who are below and age seven, and disabled passengers. Since 2021, the first two doors of the first car of the train have been allotted as a priority section for the aforementioned passengers. The line has a total of 46 escalators and 34 elevators across all 13 stations. Prior to the rehabilitation, only few escalators and elevators were operational. The escalators and elevators were rehabilitated as part of the rehabilitation of the line. The project started in June 2019 and was completed on August 20, 2020. In February 2012, the line allowed
folding bicycle A folding bicycle is designed to be compacted into a smaller, more manageable size or shape, making it easier to store or carry . When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings, on public transportation (facilitating mixed-mo ...
s to be brought into trains provided that the wheels do not exceed more than in diameter.
Platform screen doors Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail ...
were also planned for each station, with the plans for the platform doors were laid out as early as 2013, however, these plans were delayed until it was reconsidered in 2017.


Shops and services

Some stations are connected at concourse level to nearby buildings, such as shopping malls, for easier accessibility. Inside the concourse of all stations are stalls or shops where people can buy food or drinks. Stalls vary by station, and some have fast food stalls. Stations such as North Triangle (
Ayala Malls Vertis North Ayala Malls Vertis North (formerly Vertis North Superblock as working name and Vertis North Mall) is a shopping mall in Vertis North Complex, Quezon City, Philippines developed and managed by Ayala Malls. It is the second mall in the Vertis No ...
,
SM North EDSA SM North EDSA (formerly known as The SM Center North EDSA, The SM City North EDSA and also known as SM City North EDSA) is a large shopping mall located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the first SM Supermalls, SM Supermall in ...
, and Trinoma), Quezon Avenue ( Centris Station Mall), Araneta Center—Cubao (
Ali Mall Ali Mall is a shopping mall at the Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City. Standing along P. Tuazon Boulevard and bounded by major roads along the Araneta City complex, the mall is located across SM Araneta City, and is owned by The Araneta City ...
,
Farmers Plaza Farmers Plaza is a shopping mall located at the Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City. Renovated and expanded in 1999 and in 2014, the five-level complex is the first ever fully first enclosed, air-conditioned mall in the Philippines, making it one ...
, Gateway Mall), Isetann Cubao, and SM Araneta City), Ortigas (
Robinsons Galleria Ortigas Robinsons Galleria (also known as Robinsons Galleria Ortigas) is a mixed-use complex and shopping mall located at EDSA ( C-4) corner Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the flagship mall of Robinsons Malls and is th ...
,
SM Megamall SM Megamall (formerly as SM Megamall Ortigas and colloquially known as Megamall), is a shopping mall located in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. Opened in 1991, it is the third SM Supermall, after SM North EDSA and SM Ci ...
and The Podium), Shaw Boulevard ( Greenfield District Pavilion,
Shangri-La Plaza Shangri-La Plaza is a shopping mall located in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Philippines. It is owned and operated by the Kuok Group of Companies, the owner of the worldwide chain of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. Shangri-La Plaza opened on Nov ...
, and Starmall Shaw), Guadalupe (Guadalupe Commercial Complex), Ayala (
Glorietta Glorietta (; stylized in all lowercase), also known as Ayala Malls Glorietta and formerly known as Quad, is a shopping mall complex in the Ayala Center, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. The mall is owned by Ayala Land and operated through its ...
,
Greenbelt A green belt or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or gree ...
, Landmark Makati,
One Ayala One Ayala, also known as One Ayala Avenue (OAA), is a mixed-use development developed by Ayala Land located at Ayala Center via Ayala Avenue and EDSA (Circumferential Road 4, C-4) in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located across Glori ...
, and SM Makati), Magallanes (Southgate Mall), and Taft Avenue (Metro Point Mall) are connected to or are near shopping malls and/or other large shopping areas, where commuters are offered more shopping varieties. It is also accessible to major transport terminals in Metro Manila such as
Araneta City Bus Port The Araneta City Bus Port (ACBP), also styled Araneta City Busport, is a bus station in Quezon City, Philippines. The bus station is currently one of two bus terminals in the Araneta City business district that link Metro Manila with the Provinc ...
and other provincial bus terminals within EDSA—Cubao area via Araneta Center—Cubao, Parklea via Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe Jeep Terminal via Guadalupe,
One Ayala One Ayala, also known as One Ayala Avenue (OAA), is a mixed-use development developed by Ayala Land located at Ayala Center via Ayala Avenue and EDSA (Circumferential Road 4, C-4) in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located across Glori ...
via Ayala, Pasay Rotonda via Taft Avenue, and the upcoming
North Triangle Common Station The North Triangle Common Station, officially designated as the Unified Grand Central Station and North EDSA for the MRT Line 7, commonly known as the Common Station or North Triangle station, is an under-construction rapid transit terminal ...
. Since November 19, 2001, in cooperation with the
Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded broad ...
, passengers have been offered copies of the ''
Inquirer Libre ''Inquirer Libre'' is a free, bilingual ( Filipino and English) tabloid published in the Philippines by the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' as a trimmed-down version of the newspaper for distribution on public transport. Established on November ...
'', a free, tabloid-size,
Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
version of the ''Inquirer'', which is available at all stations. In 2014, ''Pilipino Mirror'' also started distributing free tabloid newspapers.


Safety and security

The line's safety was affirmed in a 2004
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
paper prepared by Halcrow, describing the overall state of metro rail transit operations in Manila as being "good". (Prepared by Halcrow Group Limited). However, since the DOTr took over maintenance of the train system in 2012, the safety and reliability of the system has been questioned, with experts calling it "an accident waiting to happen." While several incidents and accidents were reported between 2012 and 2014, they did not deter commuters from using the system. * The Philippine government, meanwhile, continues to assert that the system is safe overall despite those incidents and accidents. As the line operated significantly above its designed capacity of 350,000 passengers per day from 2004 to 2019, government officials have admitted that capacity and system upgrades are overdue, although the DOTr has never acted on the numerous capacity expansion proposals of the private owners. In the absence of major investment in improving system safety and reliability, DOTr has resorted to experimenting with and implementing other solutions to reduce strain on the system, including crowd management on station platforms and the proposed implementation of peak-hour express train service. However, some of these solutions, such as platform crowd management, are unpopular with passengers. For safety and security reasons, persons who are visibly intoxicated,
insane Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...
and/or under the influence of
controlled substances A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession and use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated by law. Some treaties, notably the Single ...
, persons carrying flammable materials and/or explosives, and persons carrying bulky objects or items over tall and/or wide are prohibited from entering the line. Products in
tin can A steel can, tin can, tin (especially in British English, Australian English, Canadian English and South African English), or can is a container made of thin metal, for distribution or storage of goods. Some cans are opened by removing the to ...
s are also prohibited on board, citing the possibility of home-made
bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
s being concealed inside the cans. In late 2000 and early 2001, in response to the
Rizal Day bombings The Rizal Day bombings, also referred to as the December 30 bombings, were a series of bombings that occurred around Metro Manila in the Philippines on December 30, 2000. The explosions occurred within a span of a few hours, killing 22 people an ...
and the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, security was increased. Following a
vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The t ...
incident in May 2021, the number of security personnel deployed across all stations was increased and a patrol car was deployed for added security. After a
bomb threat A bomb threat or bomb scare is a threat, usually verbal or written, to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage, death, injuries, and/or incite fear, whether or not such a device actually exists. History Bomb threats ...
incident on September 8, 2023, DOTr formed an inter-agency task force to enhance security across all transportation sectors. Units of the
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
and
security police Security police usually describes a law enforcement agency which focuses primarily on providing security and law enforcement services to particular areas or specific properties. They may be employed by governmental, public, or private institutio ...
provided by private companies can be found in all stations. All stations have a head guard. Some stations may also have a deployed K9 bomb-sniffing dog. The line also employs the use of
closed-circuit television Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...
inside all stations to monitor suspicious activities. Pets have been allowed to ride since July 12, 2021, but these must be placed inside a carrier bag before boarding a train.


Ridership

The original designed ridership of the line is 350,000, yet as the years passed, the number doubled from 450,000 daily passengers in 2006–2007 to 490,000 passengers in 2008 and up to 500,000 passengers from 2010 to 2012, with record numbers reaching as high as 620,000 from 2012 to 2013, before declining to 560,000 in 2014. The high ridership of the line is due to the time consumed when commuting via
EDSA Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major Ring road, circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citi ...
, as well as the speed of the trains reaching up to , and connectivity to
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
's major transport hubs, railway lines, and central business districts, which results to a reduced commuting travel time and an increase in ridership. The daily ridership of the line can reach as much as 300,000 to 500,000 passengers from 2012 to 2016, despite poor maintenance and long lines, causing the government to launch bus services, known as MRT Buses, around its stations, to serve as alternatives for 900,000 to 1 million passengers. In addition to the rising daily ridership that continues to exceed the line's designed capacity, and as the government continues to implement the metro line's capacity expansion project, it aims to reach a ridership of 800,000 daily passengers as all of the new trains from China will be added to its current fleet. Ridership declined in 2015, with a daily average of 327,314 passengers, which is lower than the 2014 record of 464,871 daily passengers on average. It slightly increased in 2016, to 370,036, and the highest recorded daily ridership was recorded at 517,929 in December of that year. However, ridership started to decline by 2017 due to poor maintenance and daily incidents, which continued through 2018 and 2019. A significant drop in ridership was recorded in 2020 due to capacity limitations brought by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, serving 70,000 to 150,000 passengers daily. It previously served almost 40,000 passengers in June 2020, and 150,000 passengers in January 2021. Until February 2022, the line operated at a limited capacity before capacity limitations were removed by March 1, 2022. Ridership slightly increased in 2021, servicing 136,935 daily passengers on average due to the loosening of capacity restrictions. After the completion of the line's rehabilitation in 2022, the line offered free rides to 28.6 million commuters within a three-month period, averaging 318,055 riders daily. By the end of the year, the line carried 98,330,683 passengers with an average of 273,141 commuters daily. For the fourth straight year, the line's ridership continues to rise to its pre-pandemic levels in 2024, as the railway line served a daily average of 375,474 passengers. From the beginning of the line's extended hours services, the line served an average ridership of 30,000 passengers and also gained positive feedback from commuters, where a large portion of commuters are workers who are in night shifts or who are coming home after work. The line served 29,530 passengers from March 24 to March 28 and 31,474 passengers from March 31 to April 4. For the first week of the extended operating hours on March 24 to 28, the line served a total of 2.14 million passengers. On April 30, 2025, in the aftermath of the free rides program on April 30 - May 3, 2025 and during Labor Day, the line reached a record number of daily passengers after the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein the total daily ridership along the line reached a total of 481,156 passengers, beating its record of 469,930 recorded during December 20, 2024. The line served a total of 1,618,541 passengers during the entire period of the free rides program.


Statistics

Data from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).


Fares and ticketing

The line, like all other lines in Metro Manila, uses a distance-based fare structure, with fares ranging from 13 to 28
pesos The peso is the monetary unit of several Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol commonly known a ...
(24 to 51 U.S. cents), depending on the destination. Commuters who ride the line are charged ₱13 ( $) for the first two stations, ₱16 ($) for 3–4 stations, ₱20 ($) for 5–7 stations, ₱24 ($) for 8–10 stations and ₱28 ($) for 11 stations or the entire line. Children below (the height of a fare gate) may ride for free. Fares are free of charge every March 8 (
International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...
; free rides exclusive for women), June 12 (
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
), and December 30 (
Rizal Day Rizal Day (, ; ) is a Philippine national holiday commemorating life and works of José Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines. It is celebrated every December 30, the anniversary of Rizal's 1896 execution at Bagumbayan (present-day Rizal ...
) on limited time slots. The line, along with the
LRT Line 2 The Light Rail Transit Line 2, also known as LRT Line 2, LRT-2, or Megatren, is a rapid transit line in Metro Manila in the Philippines owned and operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). The line generally runs in an east–west d ...
and
Philippine National Railways The Philippine National Railways (PNR) (; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation, state-owned railway company in the Philippines which operates one commuter rail service between Laguna (province), Laguna and Quezon, and local servic ...
lines also offered free rides to students starting July 1, 2019, but students must register to avail a student pass. However, the free rides for students stopped in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
as
distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
was implemented as a mode of learning during the pandemic. With the shift towards the return of physical face-to-face classes, a plan to return the free rides to students by August 2022 was announced; however, free rides for students were only limited to the
LRT Line 2 The Light Rail Transit Line 2, also known as LRT Line 2, LRT-2, or Megatren, is a rapid transit line in Metro Manila in the Philippines owned and operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). The line generally runs in an east–west d ...
due to more losses that the government will incur as a consequence of the free rides (Line 2 itself later stopped the free rides after three months due to similar reasons). Instead, the line will offer a 20% fare discount for students that wish to avail.


Types of tickets


Magnetic tickets (1999–2015)

Two types of tickets exist: a single-journey (one-way) ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination, and a stored-value (multiple-use) ticket for 100 pesos. The 200-peso & 500-peso stored-value tickets were issued in the past, but have since been phased out. The single-journey ticket is valid only on the date of purchase. Meanwhile, the stored-value ticket is valid for three months from date of first use. The tickets come in several incarnations: these include tickets bearing the portraits of former presidents
Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...
and
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
, which have since been phased out, and one bearing the logos of the DOTC and the MRTC. Ticket shortages are common: in 2005, the MRTC was forced to recycle tickets bearing Estrada's portrait to address critical ticket shortages, even resorting to borrowing stored-value tickets from the LRTA and even cutting unusable tickets in half for use as manual passes. Shortages were also reported in 2012, and the DOTC was working on procuring additional tickets in 2014. Because of the ticket shortages, it had become common practice for regular passengers to purchase several stored-value tickets at a time, though ticket shortages still persist. Although it has partnered with private telecommunications companies in experimenting with
RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...
technology as an alternative ticketing system in the past, these were phased out in 2009.


Beep cards (2015–present)

Currently, inter-operable beep cards with similar-to-the-previous single-journey and stored-value ticket types are now issued, along with the deployment of brand-new ticketing machines that replaced the barely-used ticketing machines that has been in place since the line's inauguration. The beep, tap-and-go tickets, loadable up to ₱10,000, became available to use in all stations of the line on October 3, 2015. A shortage of the stored value cards was reported in 2022 due to the global chip shortage caused by the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
.


Fare adjustment

Adjusting passenger fares was ordered by President Joseph Estrada as a means to boost flagging ridership figures, and the issue of fares both historically and in the present day continues to be a contentious political issue involving officials at even the highest levels of government. Current fare levels were set on January 4, 2015, as a consequence of DOTr (formerly DOTC) having to increase fares for LRT Line 1 as per their concession agreement with MPIC-Ayala, with fare hikes delayed for several years despite inflation and rising operating costs. Prior to the current fares levels, fares were set on July 15, 2000, under the orders of then President Estrada; this was intended to have the line become competitive against other modes of transport, but had the effect of causing revenue shortfalls which the government shouldered. While originally set to last only until January 2001, the new fare structure persisted due to strong public opposition against increasing fares, especially as ridership increased significantly after lower fares were implemented. In 2022, when the line waived its fares, ridership also increased. These lower fares—which are only slightly more expensive than jeepney fares—ended up being financed through large government
subsidies A subsidy, subvention or government incentive is a type of government expenditure for individuals and households, as well as businesses with the aim of stabilizing the economy. It ensures that individuals and households are viable by having acce ...
amounting to around ₱45 per passenger, and which for both the MRT ''and'' LRT reached ₱75 billion for the 10-year period between 2004 and 2014. Without subsidies, the cost of a single trip is estimated at ₱60, and a ₱10 increase in fares would yield additional monthly revenues of ₱2–3 billion a month. Passenger fare subsidies are unpopular outside Metro Manila, with subsidy opponents claiming that their taxes are being used to subsidize Metro Manila commuters without any benefit to the countryside, and that the fare subsidies should be used for infrastructure improvements in the rest of the country. In his 2013 State of the Nation Address, President
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
claimed that it would be unfair for non-Metro Manila residents to use their taxes to subsidize the LRT and MRT. However, supporters of the subsidies claimed that the rest of the country benefits economically from efficient transportation in Metro Manila. In January 2023, a petition was filed for a ₱4–6 fare hike due to a major net loss incurred; in 2022, the incurred revenue was only against expenditures of roughly , resulting in a loss of . In the petition, the MRT-3 management said that fare revenues were never enough to compensate the MRTC to cover the initial investment in the construction, operations, and maintenance of the line. The fare hike is now set for the first quarter of 2024.


Rolling stock

The line runs light rail vehicles (LRV) in a regular three-car configuration. Four-car trains began operating by March 2022, although most trains remain running in three cars. The DOTr planned to convert all three-car trains to four-car trains by 2023. Two train types run in the line, the latest being those purchased from
CRRC Dalian CRRC Dalian Co., Ltd. (), often abbreviated as DLoco, is a company located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, producing railway locomotives, multiple units and diesel engines. The factory was established in 1899 during the period of constructio ...
, under the Aquino administration. The line has a total of 121 light rail vehicles. 73 of which were made in the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
by
ČKD ČKD (Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk) () was one of the largest engineering companies in the former Czechoslovakia and today's Czech Republic. It is famous for the Tatra T3, a tramcar that sold 13,991 units worldwide. History ČKD was formed i ...
(now part of
Siemens AG Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the posit ...
) and were purchased with export financing from the
Czech government Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surna ...
. One ČKD train car was damaged following a derailment of a train in 2014. Another 48 were made by
CRRC Dalian CRRC Dalian Co., Ltd. (), often abbreviated as DLoco, is a company located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, producing railway locomotives, multiple units and diesel engines. The factory was established in 1899 during the period of constructio ...
in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
that were purchased at a cost of . These have a total three-car capacity of 1,182 passengers, expandable to 1,576 with an additional car, which is a little bigger than the normal capacity of
LRT Line 1 The Light Rail Transit Line 1, commonly referred to as LRT Line 1 or LRT-1, is a state-owned (through Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)) but privately operated (by Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC)) light rapid transit system line in Metr ...
first generation rolling stock that has a capacity with the same configuration of 1,122 passengers, although trains came with
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
. Despite this, it is designed to carry in excess of 23,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), and is expandable to accommodate 48,000 passengers per hour per direction. The plans for new rolling stock has been an issue for the MRT during the Aquino administration under DOTC's leadership of then Secretary
Joseph Emilio Abaya Joseph Emilio "Jun" Aguinaldo Abaya (born May 28, 1966) is a Filipino politician, lawyer, and military officer. He was the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) of the Philippines under the administration of ...
, with plans to acquire 52-second-hand LRVs offered from
Madrid Metro The Madrid Metro (Spanish: ''Metro de Madrid'') is a rapid transit system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the 14th longest rapid transit system in the world, with a total length of . Its growth between 1995 and 200 ...
in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
with a budget of ₱8.43 billion, along with a proposal from
Inekon Trams Inekon Trams, a.s. was a manufacturer of trams, or streetcars, located in the Czech Republic, and had supplied new trams to several cities in the Czech Republic and the United States.Webb, Mary (ed.) (2009). ''Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2009 ...
in 2013. However, undisclosed issues and train incompatibility issues regarding the project, the project was downgraded to 48 LRVs, with the contract having
CRRC Dalian CRRC Dalian Co., Ltd. (), often abbreviated as DLoco, is a company located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, producing railway locomotives, multiple units and diesel engines. The factory was established in 1899 during the period of constructio ...
supply 48 new LRVs. The deployment of the Dalian trains was delayed due to several factors, including weight limits on existing tracks and inconsistencies in production, which has since been corrected. On October 27, 2018, DOTr started the gradual deployment of the 2nd-generation trains. Currently, none of the Dalian trains are in operation as a consequence of restrictions imposed by the line's current maintenance provider,
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide '' sōgō shōsha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group. It is listed on three Japanese stock exchange ...
. The trains are designed to run at a maximum speed of , but currently run at an operating speed of , though some areas are limited to like turnouts. The
Passenger Assist Railway Display System Tube (stylized TUBE), formerly called the Passenger Assist Railway Display System (PARDS), was a passenger information system that has been deployed on certain lines of the Manila Light Rail Transit System, Manila Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Mani ...
(PARDS), a
passenger information system A passenger information system, or passenger information display system, is an automated system for supplying users of public transport with information about the nature and the state of a public transport service through visual, voice or other m ...
powered by LCD screens installed near the ceiling of the train that shows news, advertisements, current train location, arrivals and station layouts, are already installed inside the first-generation trains. PARDS is also installed on trains on LRT lines 1 and 2.


Depot

The line maintains an underground depot in Quezon City near North Avenue station. Above the depot is TriNoma, a shopping mall owned by the
Ayala Corporation Ayala Corporation (, formerly ''Ayala y Compañía''; ) is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and Antonio de Ayala during Spanish colonial rule, ...
. The depot occupies of space and serves as the center of operations and maintenance. It is connected to the mainline through a
spur line A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city or town not located ...
. The depot is capable of storing 81 light rail vehicles, with the option to expand to include 40 more vehicles as demand arises. They are parked on nine sets of tracks, which converge onto the spur route and later on to the main network. However, a lot of rail tracks for storage inside the depot owned by MRTC were taken by DOTC (now DOTr) to repair broken rails, as DOTC's previous maintenance provider did not purchase spare rails. These rails have since been replaced during the rehabilitation done along the entire line by Sumitomo.


Other infrastructure


Signaling

The line uses the CITYFLO 250 fixed block signaling solution supplied by
Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
(formerly
Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, with headquarters in Toronto and Berlin. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. ...
), designed for
light rapid transit A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medi ...
operations with on-board
automatic train protection Automatic train protection (ATP) is the generic term for train protection systems that continually check that the speed of a train is compatible with the permitted speed allowed by signalling, including automatic stop at certain signal aspects ...
(ATP) system on trains. Other components include train detection using
track circuit A track circuit is an electrical device used to prove the absence of a train on a block of rail tracks to control railway signals. An alternative to track circuits are axle counters. Principles and operation The basic principle behind the t ...
s, EBI Screen 900 centralized traffic control, and
computer-based interlocking Computer-based interlocking is railway signal interlocking implemented with computers, rather than using older technologies such as relays or mechanics Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matt ...
.
Adtranz Adtranz was a multi-national rail transportation equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the US. The company, legally known as ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation, was created in 1996 as a joint venture between ABB and Daim ...
, later Bombardier Transportation, designed and supplied the original signaling system and maintained it from 2000 to 2012. The firm owns the
proprietary rights Property rights are constructs in economics for determining how a resource or economic good is used and owned, which have developed over ancient and modern history, from Abrahamic law to Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Res ...
to supply new components for the system. In October 2015, Bombardier was awarded the contract to upgrade the system's local control system. The seven-month upgrade replaced the MAN 900 local control system with the newer EBI Screen 900 system with modern computers and
fiber optic An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at ...
technology. The previous maintenance providers failed to properly maintain the signaling system and used non-
original Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...
spare parts to save costs. This in turn, caused many problems within the system which became among the top three causes of frequent service interruptions. On February 9, 2018, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with original equipment manufacturer Bombardier Transportation to upgrade the system and procure the spare parts. Included in the MoU was a two-year maintenance contract that was later cancelled in May 2019 due to the rehabilitation program which included the maintenance of the signaling system by Sumitomo. The 2019–2021 upgrade covered the replacement of
copper cable Copper has been used in electrical wiring since the invention of the electromagnet and the telegraph in the 1820s. The invention of the telephone in 1876 created further demand for copper wire as an electrical conductor. Copper is the electri ...
s with
fiber optic An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at ...
cables, installation of 71 new signal lights, new interlocking equipment, new
point machine A point machine (also known as a point motor, switch machine or switch motor) is a device for operating railway turnouts especially at a distance. Overview In the earliest times, points were operated manually by levers. Gradually, these were ce ...
s, new
track circuit A track circuit is an electrical device used to prove the absence of a train on a block of rail tracks to control railway signals. An alternative to track circuits are axle counters. Principles and operation The basic principle behind the t ...
s (including tuning units which form part of the circuits), and other wayside equipment. Works continued during the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation by
Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
in January 2021. The upgraded system was commissioned on October 24, 2021.


Tracks

The
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
tracks consist of rails designed to the
UIC UIC may refer to: Computing * Uranium Information Centre, a defunct website sponsored by uranium mining companies * User identification code, the user number of the Files-11 file system in the RSX-11 operating system Education * University of Ill ...
54
rail profile The rail profile is the cross-sectional shape of a Railway track#Rail, rail as installed on a railway or railroad, perpendicular to its length. Early rails were made of wood, cast iron or wrought iron. All modern rails are hot rolled steel ...
, which are
welded Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, primarily by using high temperature to melt the parts together and allow them to cool, causing fusion. Common alternative methods include solvent w ...
together to form a
continuous welded rail Continuity or continuous may refer to: Mathematics * Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include ** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics ** Continuous ...
. Some rails located at turnouts have
fishplate A fishplate joins two lengths of track. A fishplate, splice bar or joint bar is a metal or composites connecting plate used to bolt the ends of two rails into a continuous track. The name is derived from ''fish'', a wooden reinforcement of a "b ...
s bolted at the ends of the rail. These are laid on sections of the line with ballasted and concrete plinth sections. Sections with track ballast are located on at-grade sections and the underground portion of the line (except and the turnouts south of the station), while plinth sections are located at elevated sections of the line. The tracks on ballasted sections are supported by
concrete sleeper A concrete sleeper (British English) or concrete tie (American English) is a type of railway sleeper or railroad tie made out of steel reinforced concrete. History In 1877, Joseph Monier, a French gardener, suggested that concrete reinforced ...
s. The rehabilitation of the line led to the introduction of fiber-reinforced foam urethane (FFU)
railway sleeper A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper ( Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties trans ...
s. FFU sleepers are found at the depot and the turnouts near
Taft Avenue station Taft Avenue station is the southern terminus of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system located in Pasay. It is situated at the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's major thoroughfares, and Taft Av ...
. Plans to replace the rail tracks were laid in 2015. Replacement works in certain sections of the line were conducted in February and March of that year. In January 2015, the
joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...
of Jorgman, Daewoo, and MBTech Group was awarded the contract for the major replacement works. The joint venture supplied 7,296 pieces of rails. By 2014, speed restrictions were imposed due to safety concerns, which downgraded the operating speed from later downgraded to , subsequently downgraded to . A comprehensive rail replacement program started on November 4, 2019, in which 4,053 pieces of rails assembled by
Nippon Steel Corporation (previously known as Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal until 2019) is Japan's largest steelmaker, headquartered in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company has four business segments, which are steelmaking, engineering, chemicals, and systems solu ...
in
Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...
were used. Rail replacement works were initially suspended during the
enhanced community quarantine in Luzon The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon was a series of stay-at-home orders and ''cordon sanitaire (medicine), cordon sanitaire'' measures implemented by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EI ...
, but works resumed in April 2020 and the replacement was fast-tracked. The replacement program was slated to be completed by February 2021, but was completed five months early, in September 2020. The turnouts near Taft Avenue station were repaired in October and November 2020. The rail replacement was intended to increase the operating speed back to and was achieved on December 7, 2020.


Plans and proposals


Privatization

In November 2022, the Department of Transportation said that it is considering to privatize the operations and maintenance of the line to enhance efficiency, reduce operating costs, and keep fares affordable. The rail lines assets will remain owned by the government, similar to the
LRT Line 1 The Light Rail Transit Line 1, commonly referred to as LRT Line 1 or LRT-1, is a state-owned (through Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)) but privately operated (by Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC)) light rapid transit system line in Metr ...
. Such a plan was announced as early as 2017.


Line merge with LRT Line 1

Although Phase 1 of the line (Taft Avenue to North Avenue) has already been built, the original route envisioned by the government was for it to traverse most of EDSA (from Monumento to Taft Avenue), eventually meeting with the LRT Line 1 at in
Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...
(Phase 2) to create a seamless rail loop around Metro Manila. The total length of the planned extension was . A study about the integration of Metro Manila's railway network, published by JICA in 2001, proposes the through-operation of both LRT-1 and the MRT-3, which would have interoperability to create a seamless loop around the region. The trains would start from Monumento before turning back to the mainline of LRT 1 at Pasay Rotonda. The expansion was shelved by then President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
in favor of the
LRT Line 1 The Light Rail Transit Line 1, commonly referred to as LRT Line 1 or LRT-1, is a state-owned (through Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)) but privately operated (by Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC)) light rapid transit system line in Metr ...
's extension from to a new common station that it will share with at North Avenue, thus closing the loop. The
National Economic and Development Authority The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for national and regional economic policy, development, monitoring, and planning. DEPDev also oversees the pl ...
, as well as President Arroyo have said that the link at North Avenue is a national priority, since it would not only provide seamless service between the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3 but would also help decongest Metro Manila. It is estimated that by 2010, when the extension is completed, some 684,000 commuters would use the line every day from the present 400,000, and traffic congestion on EDSA would be cut by as much as 50%. Proposals to fully unite LRT-1 and MRT-3 operations and systems have been pitched but has not been pursued so far. Feasibility tests for this proposition included LRT-1 trains visiting MRT 3 depot facilities and running them on the entire line. Even if the
structure gauge A structure gauge, also called the minimum structure outline, is a diagram or physical structure that sets limits to the extent that bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure can encroach on rail vehicles. It specifies the height and width of s ...
connecting the two rail lines has been successfully tested, commuters have to go down at
Fernando Poe Jr. station Fernando Poe Jr. station, also known in its previous name Roosevelt station, is the current northern terminus of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) system. It opened on October 22, 2010, as part of the LRT-1 North Extension Project, as Roose ...
of LRT Line 1 and walk over or take a tricycle or jeepney for the distance to the North Avenue station of MRT Line 3. In 2011, the
Department of Transportation and Communications The Department of Transportation (DOTr; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation systems as effective instruments for national re ...
(precursor to the DOTr), under
Transportation Secretary The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secre ...
Jose de Jesus Jose de Jesus is a former Philippine Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications.
, launched an auction for a temporary five-year operations and maintenance contract for the two lines; the bidding was set for July. Over twenty-four companies expressed interest to bid which included
Ayala Corporation Ayala Corporation (, formerly ''Ayala y Compañía''; ) is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and Antonio de Ayala during Spanish colonial rule, ...
,
Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, with headquarters in Toronto and Berlin. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. ...
,
CAF CAF or caf may refer to: Armed forces *Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces), the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy *Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force *Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China (Tai ...
,
Metro Pacific Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) is a Philippine unit investment holding company of First Pacific Company Limited through Metro Pacific Holdings, Inc. MPIC through its subsidiaries, provides water, sanitation, and sewerage service ...
,
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide '' sōgō shōsha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group. It is listed on three Japanese stock exchange ...
,
Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
,
DMCI Holdings DMCI Homes, Inc. is the real estate arm of DMCI Holdings through its wholly owned subsidiary DMCI Project Developers, Inc. (PDI). It was incorporated and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 27, 1995. It ranke ...
,
San Miguel Corporation San Miguel Corporation (), abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate with headquarters in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines. Originally fo ...
, and others. De Jesus later resigned from the DOTC in June for personal reasons, and his successor,
Mar Roxas Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II (; born May 13, 1957) is a Filipino politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines. He is the grandson and namesake of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas. He served in the Cabinet of the Philippines ...
, halted the auction process and was later shelved. The proposal to integrate the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3 was revived in June 2024 by Metro Pacific Investments. The company, which holds a majority stake in LRT Line 1 operator
Light Rail Manila Corporation Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) is a rail service company based in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a consortium of companies engaged in the operation and maintenance of the Manila Light Rail Transit System Line 1 (Line 1) since Septe ...
, submitted an unsolicited proposal to integrate the operations of the two lines. It is now under review by DOTr and has been endorsed to the former by the PPP Center, after initially rejecting it due to being incomplete in substance. The proposed line merger will run both LRT-1 and MRT-3 trains on the same track, while resolving outstanding issues such as the Dalian trains, supply chain and potential line expansion.


Southern and western extension

In the 1999 Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study, the line was proposed to extend all the way to
Navotas Navotas, officially the City of Navotas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it ha ...
, which is only , and another one to the reclamation area (known as Bay City) in about . The line was also intended to extend all the way to
Kawit Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit (), is an urban municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of ...
. In a feasibility study in 2009 and in 2015, launched by
Japan International Cooperation Agency The Japan International Cooperation Agency (), also known as JICA'','' is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social gr ...
, along with the Department of Transportation, the Transport and Traffic Planners (TTPI) Inc. and other Japanese and local railway officials, launched a plan to extend the present MRT line's southern end, by constructing a at-grade and underground segment, from
Taft Avenue station Taft Avenue station is the southern terminus of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system located in Pasay. It is situated at the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's major thoroughfares, and Taft Av ...
to the
SM Mall of Asia SM Mall of Asia (also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA; ), is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Metro Manila, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area w ...
complex. Plans were also laid out to add another station, by traversing through
Macapagal Boulevard Macapagal Boulevard, also known as President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard and Macapagal Avenue, is an eight-lane road in Metro Manila, Philippines, running parallel to Roxas Boulevard from the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasa ...
and linking the line to the
Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX, ) is a public transport terminal in Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. PITX is built and operated by Megawide Construction Corporation and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) under the ...
, therefore adding another to the main line. The study also included a planned extension to the northern and western cities of Navotas, Southern Caloocan, and
Malabon Malabon, officially the City of Malabon (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north of the city of Manila, Malabon is ...
, which is also included to the planned merging project with the
LRT Line 1 The Light Rail Transit Line 1, commonly referred to as LRT Line 1 or LRT-1, is a state-owned (through Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)) but privately operated (by Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC)) light rapid transit system line in Metr ...
, and connecting it to the
North–South Commuter Railway The North–South Commuter Railway (; NSCR), also known as the Clark–Calamba Railway, is a commuter rail system under construction on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Running from New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, to Calamba, Laguna, ...
. Due to the numerous problems surrounding the project, such as right-of-way and cost issues, the government decided to presumably scrap the extension plans, and look for alternatives instead, such as the planned Integrated Pasay
Monorail A monorail is a Rail transport, railway in which the track consists of a single rail or beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, the term refers to the style ...
project by the Pasay City LGU and
SM Investments SM Investments Corporation (SMIC), also known as SM Group, is a Filipino conglomerate with interests in various sectors, mostly in shopping mall development and management, retail, real estate development, banking, and tourism. Founded by H ...
, starting from the station to
SM Mall of Asia SM Mall of Asia (also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA; ), is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Metro Manila, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area w ...
.


Makati Loop

In the initial stages of the construction of the transit line, a proposal was formulated for a supplementary rail extension that would traverse from Buendia station to the
Gil Puyat Gil Juco Puyat Sr. (September 1, 1907 – March 22, 1981) was a Filipino politician and businessman who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1951 until 1972, when President Ferdinand Marcos shut Congress down and declared Martial Law, ...
station of the LRT-1, situated between Ayala and Buendia stations. The sole existing trace of this discontinued proposal is an underground tunnel extending from Buendia to Ayala stations, taking a rightward trajectory towards
Ayala Avenue Ayala Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Makati, the Philippines. It is one of the busiest roads in Metro Manila, crossing through the heart of the Makati Central Business District. Because of the many businesses along the avenue, Ayala Avenue i ...
, before running towards
Gil Puyat Avenue Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, also known simply as Gil Puyat Avenue and by its former official name Buendia Avenue, is a major arterial thoroughfare which runs east–west through Makati and Pasay in western Metro Manila, Philippines. It is one ...
. Despite sporadic references, there is presently no intention to reassess or reinstate this abandoned initiative.


Extension to NAIA

In 2000, during the completion of the line, MRTC proposed an idea to build the extension of the line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), running from Taft Avenue station, then passing along
Roxas Boulevard Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a tradem ...
, and ending at this airport. The project was expected to cost .


Transfer of operations from MRTC to LRTA

A new study for the Metro Manila Rail Network has been unveiled by DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco that LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3 will be placed under the management of the
Light Rail Transit Authority The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) is a public transport operator that is responsible for the construction, operation, maintenance and/or lease of Manila Light Rail Transit System in the Philippines. It is organized as a government-owned a ...
(LRTA). This is due to maintenance cost issues for LRT 1's maintenance cost, which is approximately ₱35 million, along with LRT Line 2's ₱25 million and MRT Line 3's ₱54 million maintenance costs. Another reason for this study is for the unification of the lines. According to DOTC Undersecretary for Rails Glicerio Sicat, the transfer was set by the government in June 2011. However, it is unlikely that the private owners, MRTC, will approve this plan. On January 13, 2011, LRTA Administrator Rafael S. Rodriguez took over as officer-in-charge of the line in preparation for the integration of operations of the three lines, but with the entry of a new leadership into the DOTC that year and in 2012, the transfer was deemed not likely to happen; however, in April 2012, a LRT 1 trainset made the first trial journey to the MRT 3 depot. On May 26, 2014, the line's general manager Al Vitangcol was replaced by LRTA Administrator Honorito Chaneco as officer-in-charge. The move came after Vitangcol was accused by the ambassador of the Czech Republic of
extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...
and for awarding the maintenance contract in October 2012 to PH Trams, a company established by Vitangcol's uncle-in-law. Vitangcol was also involved in an attempt to extort $30 million from
Inekon Group Inekon Trams, a.s. was a manufacturer of trams, or Tram, streetcars, located in the Czech Republic, and had supplied new trams to several cities in the Czech Republic and the United States.Webb, Mary (ed.) (2009). ''Jane's Urban Transport Systems ...
in exchange of 48 train vehicles in July 2012. As the build-lease-transfer contract of the DOTr and MRTC nears its 2025 expiration, the department plans to transfer its management of the line to the LRTA. Such a plan was pitched in July 2023 by Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez, when the department considered privatizing the operations and maintenance and bundling it with that of the
LRT Line 2 The Light Rail Transit Line 2, also known as LRT Line 2, LRT-2, or Megatren, is a rapid transit line in Metro Manila in the Philippines owned and operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). The line generally runs in an east–west d ...
.


North Triangle Common Station

On November 21, 2013, the NEDA board, chaired by President
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
, approved the construction of a common station within North Avenue between
SM City North EDSA SM North EDSA (formerly known as The SM Center North EDSA, The SM City North EDSA and also known as SM City North EDSA) is a large shopping mall located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the first SM Supermall in the country an ...
and TriNoma shopping malls. It is estimated to cost . It will feature head-to-head platforms for LRT 1 and MRT 3 trains with a elevated walkalator to MRT 7. SM Investments Corporation posted 200 million pesos for the naming rights of the common station. This is inconsistent with the original plan of having seamless connectivity to Monumento and is also an unusual arrangement of having two train stations beside each other. However, the project was shelved indefinitely due to disputes over cost, engineering issues and naming rights. The Supreme Court halted the construction of the project in August 2014 after SM Prime Holdings contested the new location near Trinoma. An agreement was later reached under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte on September 28, 2016, and the common station finally begun construction on September 29, 2017. The station will open in 2025.


Incidents

During the testing period of the system, the MRT–3 has been prone to numerous disruptions and breakdowns due to technical problems in the overall systems and design since its opening in 1999, due to many factors, such as the humid conditions in the country, lack of accessibility to the stations, and incompatible problems in the rolling stock, causing major adjustments to the system. However, problems began to arise in 2012, due to poor maintenance causing train glitches, lack of spare parts, and negligence. The system has faced numerous interruptions and accidents. This in turn has caused lower ridership, frequent unloading of passengers and passenger inconvenience. Among the notable incidents involving the railway line are: * On January 10, 2000, full line operations were suspended after a fire broke out at the former bus depot of the
Metro Manila Transit Corporation The Metropolitan Manila Transit Corporation (MMTC) was a government-owned and controlled corporation that operated as a transport company in Metro Manila, Philippines. At its peak, MMTC operated several bus routes across Metro Manila. It was bes ...
in the vicinity of the MRT-3 depot. The fire damaged one of its overhead electric lines and disabled one of two access tracks to the depot. * On October 23, 2000, a flood at the EDSA-Taft intersection and an ongoing construction project that obstructed the sidewalk led to overcrowding at Taft Avenue station and left hundreds of passengers stranded. * On March 19, 2003, a
vagrant Vagrancy is the condition of wandering homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants usually live in poverty and support themselves by travelling while engaging in begging, scavenging, or petty theft. In Western countries, ...
was killed by a northbound train after climbing onto the tracks near the Santolan-Annapolis station. The incident caused train operations to be suspended for half an hour. * On August 29, 2003, a vagrant and a jeepney barker climbed up a MRT post near Cubao station. Both of them fell to their deaths after a brief altercation. * On March 11, 2004, security guards of the MRT-3 staged a strike in protest of delayed salaries and other withheld benefits. To maintain station security during the disruption, the
National Capital Region Police Office The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is a regional unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that has jurisdiction over Metro Manila, also known as the National Capital Region. It is headquartered in Camp Bagong Diwa. History ...
deployed officers to MRT-3 stations. In response to the strike, the DOTC ordered the termination of the security agency's contract. * On May 20, 2004, heavy rains and strong winds caused a billboard to fall from a building in Cubao, which was carried towards the MRT tracks. Operations were temporarily suspended for an hour until the tracks were cleared of debris. * On August 12, 2004, southbound operations were temporarily suspended after an overhead power cable snapped and triggered a small explosion at GMA-Kamuning station. * On July 6, 2005, a MRT train hit and killed a security guard who was searching for thieves near the tracks at Guadalupe station, causing temporary disruption to train operations. It was determined that the guard was not wearing reflectors and was outside the designated safe zone for maintenance and security personnel. * On September 23, 2005, strong winds caused a billboard to fall on the MRT power lines near Cubao station. The billboard was also dragged by a northbound train leaving Cubao and caused the last car to catch fire. As a result, train operations were limited to between the Taft Avenue and Shaw Boulevard stations. The incident has also caused the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...
to call on local government units to strictly regulate billboards being put up along major roads. * On October 22, 2006, a man was run over by a northbound MRT train between the Santolan and Ortigas stations. Reports say that the victim was believed to be a
rugby boy Rugby boys () are a collective term for Street gang, gangs of street children found in the Philippines. They are one of the most well-known poverty-afflicted people found in the slums of the Philippines. They are known for using and being addict ...
and may have jumped from a nearby flyover. As a result, train operations were suspended for 10 minutes. * In August 2010, a billboard dismantling operation at the Ortigas station of the Manila MRT-3 resulted in an accident when steel debris fell onto the overhead wires, disrupting train services. The debris also damaged multiple vehicles and caused significant traffic congestion on EDSA below. * On August 18, 2012, a man
sexually assaulted Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexua ...
a female cashier passing through Santolan-Annapolis station, prompting an investigation from the
Quezon City Police District The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is a police district under the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) serves the Quezon City as its law enforcement agency. The headquarters located at Camp Ka ...
. * On November 3, 2012, a MRTC 3000 class train from the Araneta Center-Cubao station caught fire as it approached GMA–Kamuning station, causing passengers to scramble to the exits, and having two women injured. The train caught fire due to electrical short-circuit technical failure. * On May 8, 2013, a man was killed in an apparent suicide after allegedly jumping in front of an oncoming MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station. * On March 26, 2014, a southbound MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station suddenly stopped due to the train driver not observing the red light status at the Guadalupe station and accelerated southbound without getting prior clearance from the Control Center, causing the
automatic train protection Automatic train protection (ATP) is the generic term for train protection systems that continually check that the speed of a train is compatible with the permitted speed allowed by signalling, including automatic stop at certain signal aspects ...
system to trigger and activate the emergency brakes, resulting in eight injuries. * On August 13, 2014, a southbound MRTC 3000 class train heading to Taft Avenue station derailed and overshot to the streets. The train first stopped after leaving Magallanes station due to a technical problem. Later on, the train broke down altogether, so another train was used to push the stalled train. During this process, however, the first train became detached from the rails and overshot towards
Taft Avenue Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
. As a result, the train crashed through the
buffer stop A buffer stop, bumper, bumping post, bumper block or stopblock (US), is a device to prevent Railroad car, railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of Track (rail transport), track. The design of the buffer stop is dependen ...
and concrete barriers and derailed onto Taft Avenue. At least 38 people were injured. The accident was blamed on two train drivers and two control personnel for failing to follow the proper coordination procedures and protocol. * On September 2, 2014, a MRTC 3000 class train continued with one of its doors left open after a train door failed to close at the Guadalupe station. The passengers were then evacuated after the train arrived at Boni station. * On October 22, 2017, train services were limited between North Avenue and Shaw Boulevard due to a used
diaper A diaper (, North American English) or a nappy (British English, Australian English, Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or containing waste products to p ...
being thrown onto the overhead catenary system between the Buendia and Ayala stations. The perpetrator was not identified and normal services were resumed after one hour. * On November 14, 2017, an alighting passenger at the Ayala station suddenly fell down to the tracks. The passenger was caught between the first and second cars of the train, and her arm was cut off. Operations were disrupted but was resumed shortly. The injured passenger was then brought to a nearby hospital and her arm was reconnected by
surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...
s the following day. Following this incident, the government reconsidered the use of
platform screen doors Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail ...
in stations to prevent such incident. * On November 16, 2017, at 11:30 am, at least 140 passengers were evacuated from a train car that detached from a MRTC 3000 class train between the railway lines of Buendia and Ayala Avenue Stations. * On August 7, 2018, an aircon leak caused the inside of a MRTC 3000 class train to flood, prompting passengers inside to open their
umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...
s. The train was removed from service to fix the air conditioning unit and the train involved in the incident returned to service the following day. * On September 26, 2018, two maintenance vehicles collided between Buendia and Guadalupe stations while doing a routine track maintenance, injuring 7 people. This resulted in a one-hour delay of the deployment of trains, causing long lines at stations. * On September 6, 2019, an overhead catenary line section snapped at Guadalupe station, causing a power supply glitch in the whole line affecting over 7,000 passengers. Partial operations were implemented from North Avenue station to Shaw Boulevard station. The situation normalized at 5:00 pm. The incident was caused by a defective and old Protection and Control Unit (PTU) that was overdue for replacement, after an investigation was made. Train preparation and daily maintenance were among the factors that failed to prevent this incident. * On November 4, 2019, at 4:08 pm, a MRTC 3000 class train suddenly emitted smoke while on the northbound track of the line. Around 530 passengers were unloaded. Around two hours after the incident, the operation of the line was back to normal. The fire was caused by a short-circuit in the traction motor. * On May 9, 2021, two men were arrested for illegally going down to the railway tracks at Quezon Avenue station to take a
selfie A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone. The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...
. * On May 12, 2021, a MRTC 3000 class train car was vandalized near
Taft Avenue station Taft Avenue station is the southern terminus of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system located in Pasay. It is situated at the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's major thoroughfares, and Taft Av ...
. An investigation found that an unidentified culprit had cut the perimeter fence near the station, which may have caused the vandalism. * On October 9, 2021, a MRTC 3000 class train car caught fire near the Guadalupe station. A provisional service was implemented between North Avenue and Shaw Boulevard station, and the site of the incident was declared fire out at 9:51 pm. As a result of the incident, 8 passengers sustained minor injuries. Normal operations resumed the following day. * On November 21, 2021, a window in a MRTC 3000 class LRV was damaged due to a stoning incident, with one injury reported. The suspect was later identified as a garbage collector and was subsequently arrested and charged. * On June 12, 2022, two persons fell to their deaths from the EDSA-Taft Avenue (Tramo) flyover, onto the MRT-3 tracks leading to Taft Avenue station, causing an hour-long interruption in services. * On March 3, 2025, an MRTC 3000 class train suddenly stopped between Santolan–Annapolis station and Araneta Center–Cubao station, with passengers stated that they smelling smoke and heard minor explosions inside the train. MRT management stated that the leading car of the train heading northbound experienced traction loss at around 12 pm, causing an hour-long interruption. * On March 11, 2025, one of the escalators at
Taft Avenue station Taft Avenue station is the southern terminus of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system located in Pasay. It is situated at the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's major thoroughfares, and Taft Av ...
had suddenly malfunctioned, with the escalator reversed its direction due to its escalator's main drive chain failure, resulting in 10 injuries. This incident had contributed to the relieving of the MRT-3 general manager Oscar Bongon.


Notes


References


External links

* * {{Urban Rail Transit in ASEAN Public transportation in the Philippines Rapid transit in the Philippines Department of Transportation (Philippines) Rail transportation in Metro Manila Transportation in Manila Transportation in Luzon 750 V DC railway electrification Build–operate–transfer Railway lines opened in 1999 1999 establishments in the Philippines