MRT, LRT Back To Full Capacity

Rail lines have announced they will resume full capacity of trains with the enforcement of Alert Level 1 in Metro Manila starting today, March 1.

Trains of the MRT-3 can carry a total of 1,182 passengers per set, consisting of three train cars, that is equivalent to 100-percent seating capacity, its management said on Monday, Feb. 28.

LRT-1 will restore its full capacity per train set depending on the type of trains: 1,122 riders for first generation trains; 1,358 for second generation trains and 1,388 for third generation trains.

However, health and safety protocols against COVID-19 will still be implemented at train facilities such as wearing of face masks, temperature checks, no talking or eating or answering phone calls inside trains and cashless payment through stored-value train tickets.

Both train operators did not mention if their personnel would enforce physical distancing inside train sets and stations.

The rail operators restored the full capacity of trains in response to the Department of Transportation’s order to address the increasing demand for public transport with more lenient government policies against COVID-19 in place.

The MRT-3 recorded its highest single-day ridership, reporting a total of 228,203 passengers boarding trains last Feb. 24.

Train journeys resumed in June 2020, over two months after the government declared a massive lockdown – including a ban on all forms of public transport – at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, seating capacities inside train sets were controlled, starting from 10 percent until it was increased to 30 percent and 70 percent.

Before the pandemic, an average of 200,000 to 300,000 passengers rode the trains every day.