THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) insisted that Chinese firm CRRC Dalian Co. should pay for the cost of any technical adjustments required to accommodate the 48 new trains for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade met with officials from Dalian last week to discuss the results of the audit conducted by certifier TUV Rheinland of the train sets.
“Dahil doon sa pag-uusap na iyon, nagkasundo ‘ho na kung may mga dapat gawin at dapat lamang na gawin, kung gusto natin gamitin, lahat ‘ho ng gastusin na iyon ay a-absorb-in ng Dalian without a single cent of expense from the Philippine government [Because of that discussion, we have agreed on what to do if we want to use the trains. All the expenses for that would be absorbed by Dalian without a single cent of expense from the Philippine government],” Mr. Tugade said in a statement.
The DoTr referred to the results of the audit, which showed Dalian trains could still be used on the MRT-3 if adjustments are made.
“Kapag nirepaso mo ’yung evaluation, para bang sinasabing pag ito’y naisaayos sa tamang pamamaraan, puwede mo pang magamit ’yung bagon at tren without sacrificing the safety, the security and life of the passengers and the system [If you review the evaluation, it seems to say when the issues are fixed properly, the coaches and trains could still be used without sacrificing the safety, the security and life of the passengers and the system],” Mr. Tugade added.
He noted the problems concern variations in the measurements and weight of the new trains.
Despite this, Mr. Tugade said the work needed to be done on the Dalian trains is “manageable.”
The governments of the Philippines and China will meet on Aug. 20 to specify the details of the adjustments needed to be done by Dalian.
The trains from Dalian were purchased by the Aquino administration, meant to be additional coaches on the MRT-3. The DoTr earlier said the trains could not be used because of incompatibility with the system, and ordered an independent audit by TUV Rheinland. — Denise A. Valdez
