MRT-3 will be suspending passenger operations during 4 weekends of July to September to continue with the fast-tracking of rail replacement works, which is scheduled to be finished by September 2020.

The suspended weekend operations will cover July 4-5, August 8-9, August 21-23, and September 12-13.

Rail replacement works to be done during the weekend suspension include turnout works for both the southbound and northbound tracks at North Avenue and Taft Avenue stations. Turnouts are used to enable trains to switch from one track to another.

MRT-3 management says after rail replacement works are completed, train operating speed will gradually increase from 40kph to 60kph by December 2020, and headway, or the interval between trains, will gradually decrease to 3.5 minutes.

The weekend suspension of operations will also enable Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the service provider for MRT-3’s comprehensive rehabilitation, to perform rail destressing, rerailing, turnouts replacement, resurfacing, rail profile grinding, ballasting and tamping, and other major works for MRT-3’s trains, electrical systems, and other subsystems.

To accommodate MRT-3’s weekend passengers during the weekend suspension of operations, MRT-3, together with DOTr Road Sector and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTRFB), will implement its bus augmentation program.