Original maintenance provider inks contract for rehab of aging train line
The Japanese consortium of Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is officially back as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3’s maintenance service provider as the country’s busiest train line undergoes a 43-month-long rehabilitation starting next year.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed a contract on Friday with the Japanese companies that would oversee the overhaul and maintenance of the 16.9-kilometer train line, its 13 stations and 72 light rail vehicles.
Malfunction-prone
The MRT 3’s rehabilitation is expected to return the aging train system to its original condition and capacity. More importantly, the DOTr hopes it will put an end to the MRT 3’s three-yearlong struggle against glitches, malfunctions and technical difficulties that have resulted in numerous offloading incidents.
While the rehabilitation project itself was expected to take more than 3 years, Sumitomo Corp. managing executive officer Tsutomu Akimoto promised that riders would be able to see improvements in the train line “in a year’s time.”
Both Sumitomo and Mitsubishi have made a commitment to finish overhauling the MRT 3 line within 26 months.
Consortium’s promise to riders
“We commit ourselves to the completion of the project safely, on time and of the highest quality,” said Mitsubishi Heavy Industries executive vice president Ken Kawai. “We look forward to making the Manila people happy soon.”
The extensive project will be funded by an P18-billion official development assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The loan agreement was formally signed in November as the public clamored for viable mass transit options amid the worsening traffic problem in the metropolis.
The interest rate was set at 0.1 percent a year, payable in 28 years after a grace period of 12 years.
The contract signed on Friday covered, among other things, the restoration and overhaul of the line’s power supply, overhead catenary system, signaling system, tracks, closed-circuit television camera and public address systems, and elevators and escalators.
The Japanese consortium was the original maintenance provider for the MRT 3 when it started operating in 1999. However, it was replaced in 2012 by transportation officials who protested the high maintenance fees being charged by the consortium.
Transport Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan earlier said the full mobilization of the project would start next month.
From 15 to 20 trains by 26th month
He was optimistic that despite the ongoing rehabilitation, the MRT 3 would be able to maintain the average number of running trains at 15 during the first 14 months to avoid inconveniencing its almost 360,000 daily riders.
Afterward, the number of operational trains will be gradually increased until it reaches a maximum of 20 trains running at 60 kilometers per hour by the 26th month.
The rest of the 43-month period will cover periodic maintenance and rehabilitation.
Since the start of 2018, the MRT 3 has registered 56 offloading incidents, down 80 percent from 2016 and 2017.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1067365/sumitomo-back-on-track-with-mrt-3
Saturday, December 29, 2018
DOTr rehires Sumitomo for MRT-3 rehabilitation
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. signed yesterday the contract for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the MRT-3, making official the return of the train system’s original maintenance providers.
Sumitomo is being joined by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to restore the mass rail transit system to its original performance standards.
The DOTr said the rehabilitation and maintenance contract would cover the entire 16.9-kilometer line, all its 13 stations, all remaining 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs), and the MRT-3 Depot in North Avenue, Quezon City.
“All sub-systems will be restored, renewed or upgraded, including MRT-3’s trackworks, signaling system, power supply system, overhead catenary system, communications system, and maintenance and station equipment,” the agency said.
Engineers from Sumitomo-MHI have been in the MRT-3 Depot daily for advance transition works since Oct. 15.
The Philippines inked last Nov. 8 an P18-billion loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the rehabilitation of the MRT-3.
MRT-3, which covers North Ave. station in Quezon City until Taft station in Pasay City, started operating in 2000 and the first round of general overhaul was completed by Sumitomo in 2008.
The second round of overhaul was supposed to have been completed in 2016, but with the termination of Busan Universal Rail Inc. in November 2017, only three of the 43 trains that was covered by its contract were overhauled.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier said Sumitomo would also help in determining the timing for the deployment of the China-made Dalian trains in the MRT-3 system.
Early this month, the DOTr subjected the second train set of Dalian coaches to reliability, availability, maintainability and safety validation test.
The train set will run during off-peak hours prior to its deployment in MRT-3’s mainline.
The Dalian coaches are required to finish the 1,000-kilometer test run for 150 hours before it is completely rolled out during peak hours of the MRT-3 operations.
Incompatibility concerns were earlier raised with the 48 LRVs procured by the previous administration for P3.8 billion after they exceeded the weight prescribed in the terms of reference (49,700 kilograms vs. 46,300 kilograms).
Following an independent audit conducted by German firm TUV Rheinland, the DOTr said the Dalian trains could still be used if the adjustments identified in the audit are addressed “without sacrificing the safety, the security, and life of the passengers and the system.”
https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/12/29/1880579/dotr-rehires-sumitomo-mrt-3-rehabilitation
Sumitomo is being joined by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to restore the mass rail transit system to its original performance standards.
The DOTr said the rehabilitation and maintenance contract would cover the entire 16.9-kilometer line, all its 13 stations, all remaining 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs), and the MRT-3 Depot in North Avenue, Quezon City.
“All sub-systems will be restored, renewed or upgraded, including MRT-3’s trackworks, signaling system, power supply system, overhead catenary system, communications system, and maintenance and station equipment,” the agency said.
Engineers from Sumitomo-MHI have been in the MRT-3 Depot daily for advance transition works since Oct. 15.
The Philippines inked last Nov. 8 an P18-billion loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the rehabilitation of the MRT-3.
MRT-3, which covers North Ave. station in Quezon City until Taft station in Pasay City, started operating in 2000 and the first round of general overhaul was completed by Sumitomo in 2008.
The second round of overhaul was supposed to have been completed in 2016, but with the termination of Busan Universal Rail Inc. in November 2017, only three of the 43 trains that was covered by its contract were overhauled.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier said Sumitomo would also help in determining the timing for the deployment of the China-made Dalian trains in the MRT-3 system.
Early this month, the DOTr subjected the second train set of Dalian coaches to reliability, availability, maintainability and safety validation test.
The train set will run during off-peak hours prior to its deployment in MRT-3’s mainline.
The Dalian coaches are required to finish the 1,000-kilometer test run for 150 hours before it is completely rolled out during peak hours of the MRT-3 operations.
Incompatibility concerns were earlier raised with the 48 LRVs procured by the previous administration for P3.8 billion after they exceeded the weight prescribed in the terms of reference (49,700 kilograms vs. 46,300 kilograms).
Following an independent audit conducted by German firm TUV Rheinland, the DOTr said the Dalian trains could still be used if the adjustments identified in the audit are addressed “without sacrificing the safety, the security, and life of the passengers and the system.”
https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/12/29/1880579/dotr-rehires-sumitomo-mrt-3-rehabilitation
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