NEW AIRCON UNITS FOR MRT-3. A set of 33 new air-conditioning units are being installed by MRT-3's rehabilitation contractor, Sumitomo-MHI-TESP. A total of 120 units were ordered for the rail line which cost about PHP167 million. (Photo courtesy of DOTr)
MANILA -- Around 33 new air-conditioning units (ACU) are set to be installed in Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) train cars as part of the Department of Transportation (DOTr)–MRT-3’s comprehensive rehabilitation project of the metro rail line traversing Edsa.
In an announcement sent to the media Tuesday, the DOTr said the ACUs were received since August 3 to August 20 and are the first batch to be installed from a total of 120 units ordered by the project’s contractor, Sumitomo-MHI-TESP (Sumitomo).
The new ACUs will bring more comfort to the thousands of MRT-3 passengers daily aside from other rehabilitation works which are set to be completed by July 2021.
“Ito ay upang mabigyan ng mas komportableng paglalakbay ang libu-libong mananakay ng aming rail line (This is for a more comfortable ride for the thousands of passengers in our rail line),” the DOTr statement read.
The new ACUs cost about PHP167 million and are a small part of the DOTr’s comprehensive rehabilitation project with a total project cost of PHP18 billion funded through an Official Development Assistance loan from Japan with a 40-year, 0.1 percent interest per annum and a 12-year grace period.
Under the rehabilitation project, Sumitomo is also set to replace all mainline tracks along the MRT-3’s 17-kilometer line using 4,053 pieces of 18-meter rails received last July from Nippon Steel Corp. in Japan.
All 72 light rail vehicles of the MRT-3 will also be overhauled, power and overhead catenary systems rehabilitated, signaling, communications and CCTV systems upgraded, and all escalators and elevators in MRT-3 stations repaired through the rehabilitation project. (PNA)
