MANILA, Sept. 3 (PNA) — Assembly for the recently-delivered Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) prototype train coaches kicked off Thursday morning, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said.
DOTC spokesperson Miguel Arthur Sagcal confirmed the information by posting photos of the prototype being assembled by its manufacturer, China-based Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. on his official Twitter account.
In a text message, Sagcal told the Philippines News Agency that once the assembly is finished on schedule, the prototype will immediately be transferred to the MRT-3 depot in Quezon City.
“If assembly is completed by tonight (Thursday) as scheduled, the prototype will be transferred to the MRT-3 depot during non-operating hours tonight,” Sagcal said.
To recall, the prototype went through inspection by the DOTC with Dalian last July to ensure that its compliance with the technical components and specifications of the train coaches.
DOTC earlier said that after its assembly, the unit’s components such as the doors, seats, poles, and hand straps will also undergo dynamic testing in mid-November.
This prototype is only the first of the 48 brand-new train coaches that will be delivered starting in the first quarter of 2016.
Sagcal earlier said that once all 48 train coaches are delivered, the three-train coach sets will be made four-train coach sets, the maximum length allowed by platforms.
The new train coaches are expected to lessen the rail system’s maintenance requirements in the future. (PNA)
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