DAILY maintenance of Metro Manila’s three railway systems has been cited as the primary reason for not extending train operations permanently.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Jeremy Regino said over the weekend that maintaining line reliability and ensuring passenger safety outweighs the need for longer operating hours.
Earlier this month, the Department of Transportation (DOTR) announced revised operating schedules for LRT Lines 1 and 2 and MRT 3 to address the expected surge in passengers during the holiday season.
The adjustments, which include earlier start times and extended evening operations, aim to provide greater convenience to commuters while allowing rail employees time for holiday celebrations.
On select days, the DOTR official said, trains will operate in the morning earlier than usual and much later into the night to offer greater convenience to passengers during the holidays.
However, in response to public calls to permanently extend train operations, Regino said trains and rail systems require daily upkeep, unlike regular vehicles.
“Unfortunately, we need maintenance time. Our trains cannot just run continuously like regular vehicles. Maintenance is essential,” Regino said in an interview.
He said trains and the entire railway system needed daily maintenance to ensure reliability and safety.
For instance, nightly maintenance requires a power shutdown to secure workers’ safety, given the high-voltage system powering the trains.
“For maintenance work, we need to shut off power. We turn off the electricity on the lines to ensure the safety of our workers conducting maintenance,” Regino said. “We do this every night because the trains are high-voltage, so power shutdowns are necessary.”
He said extending daily train operations would compromise system reliability and, ultimately, passenger safety.
“We can sacrifice maintenance time for a week, but sacrificing maintenance in the long term is not an option. We cannot compromise the safety of the riding public,” Regino said.
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