MRTC 3000 class

The MRTC 3000 class or ČKD Tatra RT8D5M LRV is a first-generation class of high-floor uni-directional light rail vehicles built by Czech tram manufacturer ČKD Tatra. The LRVs are owned by Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), operated by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) thru DOTr MRT-3, and is currently used on the Manila MRT Line 3.
ČKD Tatra RT8D5M LRVs were the last vehicles made by ČKD Tatra before it was taken over by Siemens.
Construction of the MRT Line 3 began in 1996 when the then-Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC; later the Department of Transportation) entered into a build-lease-transfer agreement with the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC). MRTC signed a contract with ČKD Tatra in 1997 to supply the trains.
Aside from a prototype, 73 light rail cars are produced by ČKD in two batches; 49 were produced in 1998 and the other 24 were completed the following year. The first train was flown into Manila via plane while the remaining trains were transported by sea. The fleet also happens to be the last produced by ČKD before it was taken over by Siemens.
In March 1995 the first three-car tram was tested in Prague under the number 0029 as a prototype. It was a development of the Tatra KT8D5; 0029 retained its control, proportions, the front and rear sections, and unlike the later production vehicles, designed for bidirectional operation. Prototype 0029 remained in Prague and it was used in October to November 1998 together with the Tatra T5A5 prototype, tram no. 0013, and the T3 no. 6663 for various crash tests in the main workshop in Hostivař before being eventually scrapped.
All 73 light rail vehicles (LRV) were first refurbished from 2008 to 2009 by Sumitomo Corporation, its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG), and its subsidiary TES Philippines Inc. (TESP). The aging air-conditioning units of the trains since 1999 were replaced with new ones. The interior and exterior of the trains were also refurbished.
In 2016, Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI) initiated the second overhaul of the trains. Forty-three light rail vehicles were to be overhauled as part of its three-year maintenance contract with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC; later the Department of Transportation [DOTr]). The refurbished cars underwent a body repaint and installation of new air-conditioning units from Thermo King. However, DOTr terminated its contract with BURI on November 6, 2017, with only three vehicles refurbished.
When Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, and TESP returned as the line's maintenance providers on May 1, 2019, they continued the second refurbishment of the trains. It consists of the installation of new choppers, traction motors, wheels, pantographs, new air conditioning units from Thermo King (a replacement program for the air conditioning units began as early as 2018); the repainting of the train's exteriors and interiors; and the fitting of new lighting installations throughout the trains. SKD Trade, a. s., the company that produces spare parts for trains made by ČKD Tatra, became part of the overhaul project and provided spare parts. On October 29, 2020, the first newly overhauled train underwent a test run at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph). Initially expected to be completed in May 2023, the refurbishment of all 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs) was completed three months ahead of schedule on February 2, 2023.
120 new Thermo King air conditioning units were ordered for 40 LRVs. The installation of the new air-conditioning units on all trains were completed on June 18, 2021.
Since 2016, plans to operate in a four-car configuration from the current three were laid. On March 9, 2022, a four-car 3000 class trainset underwent a dynamic test run on the main line for the first time. Two four-car trains were deployed on March 28, subsequently increased to four. Although full conversion was initially planned to be achieved by 2023, all trains soon reverted to the existing 3-car configuration. Nevertheless, four-car operations are expected to start in June 2025, once the construction of the extended pocket track near Taft Avenue station is completed.
The LRV design is a one-way eight-axle motorized car consisting of three articulated cars, which are connected to each other by the joint and the cover. The RT8D5M operates as built on the high-speed city rail system with high platforms and in tropical conditions.
The car body is made of low-alloy high-tensile steel, while the ceiling is made of aluminum sheets.
Unlike the prototype 0029, these cars have rounded "foreheads" or beveled large windows at both ends.
The trains wear a livery consisting of royal blue, red, and white. Under the "Metrostar Express" branding, the white portion contains the brand logo and lettering on the sides. However, since 2012, the branding has since been unused. The trains also usually wore wrap ads—unlike the LRTA 1200 class which wear ads as a whole trainset, the 3000 class are seen to wear wrap ads per car.
Each light rail vehicle has three roof-mounted air-conditioning units manufactured by Thermo King. In total, there are nine air-conditioning units in a three-car train set.
LRV 044 used to have experimental exterior lights above the doors in 2017. However, the lights were removed when Sumitomo refurbished and renumbered LRV 044 as 3044 in 2021.
Each train car has a capacity of 74 seated passengers and 320 standing passengers. Under crush loading conditions, each car can carry 394 commuters at any one time. A 3-car trainset can carry 1,182 passengers. Seats are longitudinal-type.
Each car has five double leaf, electronically operated, plug-sliding doors. The three center doors have an open width of 1,255 mm (4 ft 1.4 in) while the two end doors at 861 mm (2 ft 9.9 in). The doors have a height of 1,900 mm (6 ft 3 in).
The Passenger Assist Railway Display System (PARDS), a passenger information system powered by LCD screens installed near the ceiling of the train that shows news, advertisements, current train location, arrivals and station layouts, are already installed inside the trains. However, as of 2022, the LCD screens remain switched off. PARDS is also installed on trains on LRT lines 1 and 2.
Each LRV has inside-frame bogies, consisting of four motorized bogies. The primary suspension is a steel spring and the secondary suspension is a wound-up steel spring. Scharfenberg couplers are present in the ends of the light rail vehicles.
The electrical and traction systems of the RT8D5M trains are supplied by ČKD Trakce. The propulsion is controlled by choppers with IGBT thyristors. The traction motors consist of eight DC series-wound/wave armature winding self ventilated motors. The traction motors have a Class H insulation class for the rotor and a Class F insulation class for the stator. The motors comply with IEC 349 standards. Each motor has a power output of 64.5 kilowatts (86.5 horsepower). The motors are rated with a voltage of 375 volts, a current of 190 amps, and a speed of 1946 revolutions per minute (rpm) with a maximum speed of 4350 rpm.
Auxiliary power is sourced from 480-volt AC static converters and two 24-volt DC batteries.
The trains are equipped with the EBICAB 900 Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Some onboard signaling equipment consist of vehicle logic units (VLUs), driver panels, and antennas. The original VLUs were manufactured by Bombardier Transportation (acquired by Alstom in 2021). The VLUs are the primary automatic safety devices for the trains.
In 2017, it was revealed that the original VLUs were stolen and replaced with unauthorized parts. An audit report by Bombardier Transportation showed that 99% of the trains were using fake parts. According to the inventory conducted in all cars, the other cars were equipped with ABB, ABB Daimler-Benz or DaimlerChrysler-branded VLUs.
The EBICAB 900 ATP system is integrated with the Alstom CITYFLO 250 signaling solution.
Each unidirectional light rail vehicle consists of three articulated cars.