MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to expedite the full activation and operation of the remaining 45 Dalian trains for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) along EDSA.

DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed the directive during the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) forum held Wednesday in San Juan City, saying the President expressed disappointment over the trains’ decade-long underutilization.

“‘Yun ang utos ng Pangulo, dalian na natin ‘yung Dalian,” Dizon said.
“Masyado nang matagal ‘yung sampung taon, na binayaran ‘yan ng partially ng gobyerno. Dapat ‘yan ang pangako niyan magamit para lalong bumilis ang pagbiyahe sa MRT para hindi na masyadong naghihintay ng matagal ‘yung ating mga kababayan,” he added.

Dizon said the first three Dalian trains have been operational for the past three weeks and have drawn public interest due to their distinct appearance.

“Pagka nakikita nila ‘yung Dalian, talagang pini-picture-an at bini-video nila kasi nga nakakatuwa kasi bago siya. Iba ang kulay, matingkad ‘yung kulay,” he said.

Six more units are scheduled for deployment within the year, while the remaining 39 are expected to be operational by 2026.

“So ang commitment natin ngayong taong ito, madagdagan pa natin ng anim pa kasi ‘yun ang sa kasalukuyang inaayos at tini-test. Pero ang pipilitin natin, next year, ‘yung 39 na matitirang tren ay lahat magagamit na natin next year,” Dizon said.

The Dalian trains, named after the Chinese city where they were manufactured, had remained idle for years due to technical compatibility issues with existing MRT-3 systems.