The government has tapped MRail Inc. and partner Multiscan Corp. for the P350-million replacement of the air-conditioning units of 10 train sets of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2.
The systematic replacement deal is part of the multiyear rehabilitation and modernization project aimed at improving the reliability, capacity and the overall efficiency of the system, LRT Authority (LRTA) Reynaldo Berroya said.
“We are aware of the surge of complaints concerning the poor air-conditioning system of trains, which is why we ensured that exigent attention is given to resolve the problem,” he said.
Under the said project, the joint venture will replace a total of 80 air-conditioning units for 10 running trains.
Each four-car passenger train has eight units and each has a 20°C to 24°C cooling capacity to maintain.
It has the capacity to adjust automatically depending on the number of passengers. However, at present, the cooling capacity of the trains has dropped to 50 percent of its normal cooling capacity due to the obsolescence of the board module, noting that the trains are already 15 years old.
Due to the current condition of the existing train air-conditioning system, it is more efficient and beneficial to replace the whole system altogether.
“MRail, being a rail maintenance and technology company that has achieved a Quality Certification from the International Organization for Standardization, we bring our expertise and capability in executing the Systematic ACU replacement for the LRT 2 Rolling Stock,” MRail President Ferdinand G. Inacay said.
Using latest technology and original equipment manufactured parts, the new air-conditioning system will seamlessly interface with the train monitoring system. It shall also be environment-friendly, energy-efficient and compliant with the Clean Air Act.
The joint venture will have a full year to finish the project, after the notice to proceed has been issued by the transportation agency.
For the meantime, the LRTA Engineering and Maintenance Team is doing corrective measures like cleaning the trains’ air-conditioning motors “more frequently to make train temperature more bearable while awaiting the systematic replacement to take place.”