By ANNA LIZA VILLAS-ALAVAREN, with a report from Vanne Elaine Terrazola
More than a hundred passengers of Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) were forced to walk on the train tracks from Ayala Station to Buendia Station in Makati City after one of its couches detached from the train body yesterday morning.
The glitches happened as government and private employees returned to work after the long Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ) Summit holiday.
The MRT3 train was heading to the Buendia Station when the link between coaches disconnected at around 9 a.m.
Ivan Caballero Villegas, one of the stranded passengers, said their train was moving from Ayala Station to Buendia Station when the link connecting two coaches broke down.
“When I looked in front, the train body moved away, leaving us behind,” said Villegas, a call center agent, who was on his way home after his night-shift work.
Feeling helpless, he just took a picture of the leaving train. His shot went viral on Internet.
He said they were already near Buendia Station when their coach was left behind by the train. The guards instructed them to vacate the coach and walk back to Ayala Station where he took his ride.
“The guard told us that walking towards Ayala Station is safer compared to Buendia Station,” said Villegas, citing they were made to walk on the tracks up to the platform.
While inside the train, Villegas said most of the stranded passengers called up their bosses, saying they would be late for work due to the glitch.
Some passengers opened windows and emergency lock near the door as they start feeling hot and suffocation inside, said Villegas.
When they reached the Ayala Station, Villegas said they were barred from riding another train and instead guided to exit the station.
“No special buses assisted the affected commuters. Lining up and riding the MRT was such a hassle because it was a rush-hour morning,” he said.
Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said around 140 passengers were asked to evacuate the detached coach at around 9 a.m. and walk back to Ayala Station.
“Around 130 to 140 passengers were evacuated by the combined security guards from Buendia and Ayala Station,” said Chavez.
No one was reported injured, Chavez added.
Due to the incident, MRT3 limited its operations from North Avenue to Shaw Boulevard station at around 9:12 a.m. It restored regular operations at around 9:30 a.m.
It was the second glitch of the day as a southbound train earlier unloaded passengers at the Quezon Avenue Station due to a technical problem.
The glitches came two days after a 24-year-old IT employee broke her arm when she fainted and fell down the rails while the MRT was moving.
DOTR CALLED TO DECIDE
Senator Grace Poe urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to decide on whether to continue or finally halt the operations of the troubled MRT3.
Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, said it is high-time for the transportation officials to be honest about the condition of the MRT3 as she reiterated her call for them to secure the commuters’ safety.
“Magdesisyon na sila, ito ba’y talagang ligtas o hindi?” she said in an interview at the Senate Thursday.
“Ang kailangan nilang gawin ay sigaruduhing ligtas ang mga mananakay. Ngayon, kung kinakailangan na itigil – alam natin na maapektuhan ang halos 500,000 na mga mananakay – pero kung iisipin natin ang maaring bawian ng buhay dahil sa kapabayaan, baka kailangan nang lulunin natin ito. Ang importante talaga ay magdesisyon ang DOTr at pag may nangyari, akuin nila ang responsibilidad,” she added.