THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking at filing an arbitration case against Chinese firm CRRC Dalian Co. Ltd. to settle the issue of 48 defective trains prior to the privatization of the Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT-3) by the third quarter of next year.
The 48 unused Dalian trains were procured more than eight years ago and the first train set was deployed in early 2019 for passenger service.However, the trains remain unused due to the issue of weight as these are heavier and incompatible with the MRT-3 system.
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista told reporters last Friday there will be liquidated damages subject to the agreement.
“We need to talk to them. We need to agree with them. An arbitration is possible… that’s where I see the problem on the Dalian trains is going,” Bautista said in English and Filipino.
