Manila Metro Rail Transit System
Line 3 in 2024. It remains the only operational line in the system as of 2025.
Overview
Owner	Government of the Philippines
Area served	Metro Manila Central Luzon
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	1 (operational) 2 (under construction) 8 (planned)
Number of stations	13 (present) 145 (planned)
Daily ridership	375,474 (2024)[a][1]
Annual ridership	135,885,336 (2024)[a][1]
Operation
Began operation	December 15, 1999; 25 years ago (1999-12-15)
Operator(s)	Department of Transportation[b] San Miguel Corporation[c]
Rolling stock	Class 3000 and3100Light rail vehicles[a] Electric multiple units[c][d]
Number of vehicles	120 vehicles (operational)
Train length	3–8 cars[e]
Headway	3.5–4 minutes[a]
Technical
System length	16.9 km (10.5 mi) (operational) 373 km (232 mi) (planned)
No. of tracks	Double-track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge
Minimum radius of curvature	Mainline: 160–370 m (520–1,210 ft) Depot: 28–100 m (92–328 ft)
Electrification	Overhead lines[a][d] Third rail[c]
Average speed	45 km/h (28 mph)[a]
Top speed	60 km/h (37 mph)[a]
System diagram 3 North Avenue Quezon Avenue Kamuning Araneta Center-Cubao Santolan-Annapolis Ortigas Shaw Boulevard Boni Pasig River Guadalupe Buendia Ayala Magallanes South Luzon Expressway Taft Avenue This diagram: view talk edit

TheManila Metro Rail Transit System (MRTS), commonly known as theMRT, is arapid transit system that primarily servesMetro Manila, Philippines. Along with theManila Light Rail Transit System and theMetro Commuter Line of thePhilippine National Railways, the system makes up Metro Manila's rail infrastructure.

The MRT's 16.9-kilometer-route consists of 1 line and 13 stations (in operation). The first and the only line currently in operation,MRT Line 3 is jointly operated by theMetro Rail Transit Corporation, a privately owned company, and theDepartment of Transportation (DOTr) through aBuild-Lease-Transfer agreement. Line 3 was opened in December 1999 and completed in July 2000.

Since then, most of the newly proposed rapid rail lines within Metro Manila that are not under the jurisdiction of theLight Rail Transit Authority are associated with the "MRT" brand. This includes theMetro Manila Subway (Line 9) and the elevatedLine 7 which are being built as of January 2023.

There is currently only onelight metro/light rail line in operation but there are three heavy rail lines under construction. In recent years, there are proposals to extend the system. The system is intended to have seven lines as of 2019, with at least 49 stations across 124.4 kilometers (77.3 mi) of track. Until 2019, almost all proposed lines were given odd numbers.

Not included is MRT Line 7's proposed circumferential–radial network, as well asLines 8,10,^[2][3][4] and11.^[5] These are still awaiting approval as of 2025.

The system is open from 4:40 a.m.PHT (UTC+8) until 10:10 p.m. on a daily basis.^[6] DuringHoly Week, apublic holiday in the Philippines, the rail system is closed for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro. Normal operation resumes afterEaster Sunday.^[7] During theChristmas and year-end holidays, the operating hours of the line are shortened due to the low ridership of the line during the holidays.^[8]

During the construction of the first line of theManila Light Rail Transit System in the early 1980s, Electrowatt Engineering Services ofZürich designed a comprehensive plan for a metro service in Metro Manila. The plan—still used as the basis for planning new metro lines—consisted of a 150-kilometer (93 mi) network of rapid transit lines spanning all major corridors within 20 years.^[18] The study integrated two studies in the 1970s which recommended the construction of five heavy rail lines in Metro Manila, and another study in 1977 which was used as the basis for theLRT Line 1.^[19]

The first line, theMRT Line 3, began construction in October 1996 after theMetro Rail Transit Corporation, aconsortium of local companies, was awarded abuild-lease-transfer contract. In 1997, MRTC entered into a turnkey contract withSumitomo Corporation andMitsubishi Heavy Industries for the line's construction.^[20] Sumitomo and MitsubishisubcontractedEEI Corporation for the civil works, while a separate agreement was signed withČKD Tatra for the rolling stock.^[20] Funding for the project was sourced from loans from various banks inJapan and theCzech Republic, with the help ofJP Morgan.^[20] TheDepartment of Transportation and Communications (later theDepartment of Transportation) hiredSYSTRA for the consultancy services, while the MRTC hired ICF Kaiser Engineers and Constructors to provide program management and technical oversight of the services for the design, construction management, and commissioning.^[20]

The line partially opened on December 15, 1999, and became fully operational on July 20, 2000.^[21] The line remains the only operational line in the system.

Most stations of the system are elevated, with some at-grade and underground stations. The stations have a standard layout, with a concourse level and a platform level. Most stations of the MRT Line 3 have side platforms. Line 3 stations have a standard platform length of 130 meters (426 ft 6 in), enough to accommodate four-car train operations, although the line is currently operating with three-car trains.^[22] TheMetro Manila Subway will have a platform length of 210 meters (689 ft 0 in) to accommodate eight-car trains.^[23]

The platform and concourse areas are separated by fare gates. Concourse areas have ticket booths, customer service areas, and at least one stall serving food or drinks.

As of February 1, 2012,folding bicycles are allowed to be brought intoLine 3 trains provided that the wheels do not exceed more than 20 inches (51 cm) in diameter.^[24]

Stations in the Metro Manila Subway will be equipped withplatform screen doors.^[23]

Presently, onlylight rail vehicles are operating in the system.Electric multiple units will be introduced when Line 7 and the Metro Manila Subway opens.

Line 3's rolling stock has a three-car length of 95.16 meters (312 ft 2 in), with each car having a length of 31.72 meters (104 ft 1 in) and a width of 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in). The first-generation cars (numbered from either 000 or 3000), built byČKD Tatra inPrague,Czech Republic, are currently being used in the system. The first-generation trains were refurbished from 2008 to 2009, 2017, and from 2019 up to 2023^[25] as part of the MRT Line 3 rehabilitation project. The second-generation trains (numbered from 3100), built byCRRC Dalian inDalian,China, were procured in 2014 and delivered from 2015 to 2017 to expand the capacity of the line. However, the second-generation trains were met with controversy, causing it to not be regularly deployed in revenue service. The issues with the second-generation trains include its incompatibility with the signalling system,^[26] and the trains'tare weight weighing more than the required weight in the bidding documents.^[27] Nevertheless, the trains underwent trial runs in 2018 and 2019,^[28] and were seen in regular operations from 2020 to 2021.^[29]

Each car has a capacity of 394 passengers. A three-car train set can carry 1,182 passengers, while a four-car train can carry 1,576 passengers.^[20]

Trains on the MRT Line 4 will use heavy rail trains. The manufacturer of the Line 4 trains are yet to be determined.^[10]

Hyundai Rotem was awarded the contract in January 2016 to supply 108electric multiple unit train cars, configurable to 36 three-car train sets.^[30] Originally slated to be delivered by 2018, deliveries would only begin by September 2021 due to the absence of a depot, in which construction could not commence due to right-of-way and expropriation issues. A three-car train set is 65.45 meters (214 ft 9 in) long.^[31] The trains are capable of operating at a six-car formation.

Like the trains on Lines 5 and 7, trains on the Metro Manila Subway will consist ofelectric multiple units. In December 2020, the DOTr entered into a contract with theJapan Transport Engineering Company andSumitomo Corporation to supply thirty eight-car train sets, comprising 240 train vehicles.^[32] The trains will have a length of 200 meters (656 ft 2 in), with each car having a length of 20 meters (65 ft 7 in) and a width of 2.95 meters (9 ft 8 in). The trains will also be equipped withautomatic train operation, allowingautomated driving.^[23] The trains are scheduled to be fully delivered by March 2027.^[32] It would be powered fromoverhead lines with a voltage of 1,500volts, similar to the Makati Subway.

Varioussignalling systems are being implemented in the system.Fixed block systems are present in all lines except for some lines which use amoving block system.

The signalling systems across all lines have different suppliers. Line 3's signalling system was supplied byBombardier Transportation.^[33] Line 7's signalling system, on the other hand, will be supplied byHyundai Rotem, along with the communications system.^[30] The Metro Manila Subway will employ a signalling system based oncommunications-based train control provided byNippon Signal.^[34]

One of the key components of the signalling system is theautomatic train protection system, intended to maintain a safe speed and operation on trains. Line 9 trains would have a minimal functionality ofautomatic train operation. Some lines would have other components that works with the signalling system, likeautomatic train supervision, which directs train operations.^[35]

Like theManila Light Rail Transit System, the Manila Metro Rail Transit System uses a distance-based fare structure for all of its lines. Based on publicly available information however, the fares for the Makati Subway will be 20% to 25% higher than the fares of Line 3 andLine 1.

Two types of tickets consist: a single-journey ticket and stored value cards. Since the system's opening in 1999, magnetic tickets were used. The single-journey tickets are valid on the day of purchase, while stored value cards are valid for three months.^[39] The magnetic tickets have since been replaced with theBeep, acontactless smart card which is being used since 2015 in all Manila LRT and MRT lines. The Beep stored value cards are valid for four years from the date of purchase.

Since then, numerous proposals were planned to expand the system. As of 2025, there are three lines under construction.

The MRT Line 7 is a 22-kilometer (14 mi), 14-stationheavy rail line running in a northeast–southwest direction, starting from theSan Jose del Monte station inBulacan to theNorth Triangle Common Station inQuezon City. First proposed in 2001 and approved in 2004,^[40][41] the project was repeatedly delayed due toright-of-way issues. It was re-approved in 2013 and construction on the line began in 2017.

The MRT Line 4 is amonorail line linkingMetro Manila and the province ofRizal. It was first approved in 2015.^[12] The project, at its current form, was approved in 2019 and is under the design stage.^[42] Construction on the 15.5-kilometer (9.6 mi) line is slated to begin by 2022, and full operations are slated by 2028.^[43]

TheMetro Manila Subway is a 36-kilometer (22 mi) undergroundheavy rail line. It was first planned in 2000, and again in 2014. Funded by a loan fromJapan, construction began in 2019 and is slated to partially operate by 2025.^[16]

• Department of Transportation (Philippines)
• Rail transportation in Metro Manila
• Rail transportation in Manila
• Rapid transit in the Philippines
• Transportation in Luzon
• Electric railways

• CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from June 2020
• Use Philippine English from November 2022
• All Wikipedia articles written in Philippine English
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from April 2024
• Pages using the Kartographer extension