German tech to shine in latest MRT-3 rehab

By Charles Buban April 22,2015
LRT 1

File photo

MANILA, Philippines–Just last month, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has awarded the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3 along Edsa) capacity expansion project to CNR Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. of China for the acquisition of 48 brand-new light rail vehicles.

The said light rail vehicles are believed to be the solution to the current long lines of MRT 3 passengers as the should increase passenger capacity by 66 percent to 800,000 per day from the current 350,000.

This means that the current three-car configuration would be made into four-car sets arriving at 2.5-minute intervals instead of the current three-minute intervals.

Supplying the complete electric drive system for the 48 brand-new light rail vehicles will be the German company Voith Turbo, a worldwide leading manufacturer for railway components and driveline.

CNR Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. order also include Voith Turbo to supply gear units and automatic Scharfenberg couplers.

According to Voith Turbo, this cooperation with CNR Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. clarifies a recent argument and doubts against the Chinese firm when it won the P3.77-billion contract.

Here in the Philippines, Voith is represented for 36 years by Maschinen & Technik Inc. (Matec). Matec attributed its advantage over international competition to its technical as well as system competence.

As gateway for German technology, Matec since 1979, has been supplying systems and components of the Voith Group of Companies to the country’s manufacturing industry, railways and conventional power generation sector.

For this MRT 3 project, Matec informed that the scope of supply consists of the entire drive system, including traction converters, auxillary converters, high-voltage equipment, braking resistor, gear units and I/O ports. Voith Turbo even included the optimization of the whole drivetrain.

Such benefits was more than enough to convince both the DOTC and CNR Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. of its technical expertise as well as economic advantage.

In addition, the brand-new light rail vehicles will be equipped with automatic Scharfenberg couplers type 35. Scharfenberg couplers are nothing new as its was already being used in the existing LRT trains while 35 years ago, the same Schanfenberg couplers were used in LRT 1.

Incidentally, the trains delivered by Rotem to the Philippine National Railway were equipped with Voith hydro dynamic drive systems and gears.

Elsewhere in the world, train builders and railway operation companies have integrated Voith drive technology in their urban railways, metros, regional railcars, locomotives or high-speed trains.

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