MANILA, Philippines — A team of more than 50 Japanese railway engineers and experts were to begin Thursday a system audit of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 to determine the rehabilitation and restoration works needed for the railway system.
The audit comes ahead of the mobilization of a rehabilitation and maintenance provider from Japan in May.
“We obviously need all the help we can get and we are very grateful that the Japanese Government answered our call for assistance to rehabilitate and restore the MRT-3 system,” Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said in a statement.
The audit by the Japan International Cooperation Agency is separate from the ongoing Independent Audit and Assessment of TUV Rheinland on the reliability of the 48 train cars from CCRC Dalian as well as other components of the MRT system, which began in January.
A special Bids and Awards Committee for the MRT-3 was also created to expedite the procurement of spare parts needed to increase the number of trains deployed to the system.
The DOTr is currently implementing a four-point strategy to rehabilitate and restore the MRT-3 system: promoting accountability with the termination of Busan Universal Rail Inc.; ensuring continued service delivery by establishing the Maintenance Transition Team and purchasing needed spare parts; contracting a rehabilitation and maintenance service provider together with an ODA partner; and putting in place a long-term maintenance and operator provider for MRT 3.
