THE Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) posted 129,030,158 rides in 2023, a significant jump from the previous year, according to the Department of Transportation on Wednesday.

In 2022, the MRT-3 had a total ridership of 98,330,683.  

Average daily ridership also went up by more than 30% in 2023 to 357,198 from the previous year’s 273,141.  

MRT-3 registered the highest single-day ridership on August 22, with a total of 450,298 passengers. 

August was also the month with the highest number of passengers, with 11,618,005 trips. 

DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways and MRT-3 officer-in-charge Jorjette Aquino attributed the increase in ridership to the rail line’s enhanced reliability and effective maintenance program, as well as more passengers returning to on-site work.

“The continued effective maintenance and upkeep of MRT-3’s rehabilitated subsystems contributed to the improved reliability and efficiency of the rail line. Our trains now receive necessary preventive maintenance and upkeep on time, while other subsystems such as tracks, signaling, and power are also properly maintained,” Aquino said. 

 “All of these enhancements translated to improvements in MRT-3 operations. Travel time is now only 30 to 45 minutes from North Avenue Station to Taft Avenue Station. Headway is also as low as 3.5 to 4 minutes during peak hours, with 18 train sets operating,” she added.  

MRT-3 finished its massive rehabilitation in December 2021, which hiked its operating speed from 30 km/h to the original 60 km/h.

The rehabilitation was implemented by MRT-3’s original builder and maintenance provider, Sumitomo-MHI-TESP. 

The DOTr has already extended the maintenance and rehabilitation contracts with Sumitomo until 2025.