MRTC 3000 class
The MRTC 3000 class or ČKD Tatra RT8D5M LRV, also known as Tatra Train, is a class of high-floor light rail vehicles built by Czech tram manufacturer ČKD Tatra. It is currently used at Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 and were the last made by ČKD Tatra before it was taken over by Siemens.
| MRTC 3000 class ČKD Tatra RT8D5M LRV | |
|---|---|
 A 3000 class (RT8D5M) train approaching North Avenue station | |
 A scale model drawing of the MRTC 3000 class in a 3-car formation | |
| In service | 1999–present |
| Manufacturer | ČKD Tatra |
| Assembly | Prague, Czech Republic |
| Order no. | 1998: 180.261 180.263 - 180.272 180.292 - 180.315 180.321 - 180.334 1999: 180.335 - 180.346 180.262 180.147 - 180.157 |
| Constructed | 1997–1999 |
| Entered service | December 15, 1999 |
| Refurbished | 2008-2009 (Sumitomo-TESP, 73 LRVs) 2017 (BURI, 3 out of 47 LRVs are overhauled) 2019– (Sumitomo-TESP, 3 out of 72 LRVs completed as of June 2019) |
| Number built | 73 vehicles |
| Number in service | 57 vehicles (19 trainsets in 3-car configuration) |
| Formation | 3 cars per trainset (bi-articulated car body) |
| Design code | RT8D5M |
| Fleet numbers | 001–073 (3 LRVs still have the 3000 BURI car numbering scheme) |
| Capacity | 394 per car |
| Operator(s) | Metro Rail Transit Corporation, DOTr |
| Depot(s) | North Avenue |
| Line(s) served | Line 3 |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Body shell: Low alloy high tensile steel Ceiling material: Aluminum sheets |
| Train length | 3-car trainset: 99,000 mm (324 ft 10 in) |
| Car length | 33,000 mm (108 ft 3 in) |
| Width | 2,480 mm (8 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 3,550 mm (11 ft 8 in) |
| Floor height | 925 mm (3 ft 0.4 in) |
| Doors | 5 double leaf, plug-type doors per side |
| Wheel diameter | 700 mm (new) |
| Wheelbase | 1900 mm |
| Maximum speed | 65 km/h (40 mph)[1] |
| Axle load | 9.6 t |
| Traction system | ČKD IGBT Chopper TV14Z |
| Traction motors | ČKD Shunt-winding DC motor TE026A01-4 |
| Power output | 64.5kW |
| Transmission | Cardan drive (7.42 gear ratio) |
| Acceleration | 1.0 m/s² (3.28 ft/s²) |
| Deceleration | Service: 1.0 m/s2 (3.28 ft/s2) Emergency: 2.08 m/s2 (6.82 ft/s2) |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC overhead wire |
| Current collection method | Single-arm pantograph |
| Bogies | Inside frame type |
| Minimum turning radius | 20 m |
| Braking system(s) | Dynamic brake w/ regeneration Mechanical friction brake Electromagnetic brake |
| Coupling system | Scharfenberg-type |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Notes | |
| Key features are noted from these references.[2][3][4][5][6] | |
ČKD Tatra RT8D5M LRVs are owned by Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), and operated by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) thru DOTr MRT-3.
Purchase
In line with the construction of the Manila Line 3 in the 1990s, ČKD Tatra was chosen by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation to supply the new trains after the consortium won the project.
Aside from a prototype, 73 light rail cars are produced by ČKD in two batches; 49 were produced in 1998 and the other 29 were completed the following year.[7] The first train was flown into Manila via plane while the remainder were transported by sea.[8] The fleet also happens to be the last produced by ČKD before it was taken over by Siemens.[9]
Design
Structure
The LRV design is a one-way eight-axle motorized car consisting of three articulations, which are connected to each other by the joint and the cover.[10] Each rail car is provided with five double leaf, electronically-operated plug-sliding doors. The three center doors have an open width of 1,255 mm, while the two end doors measures at 861 mm.
Unlike the prototype 0029, these cars have rounded "foreheads" or beveled large windows at both ends.[11]
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.
A 3000 class train bearing the "Metrostar Express" logo.
A 3000 class trainset with an LRV wearing wrap ads.
Interior
Each train can seat 80 passengers and under crush loading conditions, each car can carry 394 commuters at any one time. Seats are longitudinal-type.
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. PARDS is also installed on trains on LRT lines 1 and 2.[12]
Roof-mounted trainsets' cooling systems and a single-arm pantograph of the 3000 class.
3000 class (RT8D5M) interior.
Prototype RT8D5 0029
In March 1996 the first three-car tram was tested in Prague under the number 0029 as a prototype.[3] 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.[11][13]
Operations
The trains run at a maximum speed of 65 kilometers per hour (40 mph), and run through standard rail tracks.[4] The RT8D5M operates as built on the high-speed city rail system with high platforms and in tropical conditions.[2][9] The vehicles are mainly operated in threes, and operations with four-car trainsets had been planned.[14]
Refurbishments
On May 1, 2019, the overall rehabilitation of the entire MRTC 3000 class fleet of 72 cars was carried out by the Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and TES Philippines Inc. (TESP). The rehab project of the LRVs consists of the installation of new choppers, wheels, pantographs, air conditioning units from Thermo King; the repainting of the train's exteriors and interiors; and the fitting of new lighting installations throughout the trains, with the overall refurbishment program of the trains are expected to be completed on July 2021.
Incidents
- On November 3, 2012, a train from the Araneta Center-Cubao Station caught fire as it approached GMA-Kamuning Station, causing passengers to scramble to the exits, and having two women injured. The train caught fire due to electrical short-circuit technical failure.[15]
- On August 13, 2014, a southbound train heading to Taft Avenue station derailed and overshot to the streets. The train first stopped after leaving Magallanes station due to a technical problem. Later on, the train broke down altogether, so another train was used to push the stalled train. During this process, however, the first train got detached from the rails and overshot towards Taft Avenue, breaking the concrete barriers and falling to the street below. At least 38 people were injured. The accident was blamed on 2 train drivers and 2 control personnel for failing to follow the proper coordination procedures and protocol.[16][17]
- On November 16, 2017, at 11:30 am, at least 140 passengers were evacuated from a "detached train" coach between the railway lines of Buendia and Ayala Avenue Stations.[18]
References
- "Tramcar RT8D5M Model Basic Features". skd.cz. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- SKD (2000). "Katalogový list tramvajového vozu RT8D5M" [Catalog sheet of tram car RT8D5M]. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- SKD (2000). "Celkové dodávky tramvají v letech 1952 až 2000" [Total deliveries of trams in the years 1952 to 2000]. SKD. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- DOTr-MRT Line 3 (2016). "About the MRT–3". dotcmrt3.gov.ph. GOV PH. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- R. Vodička 2008, p. 13.
- DOTC_Lot2 2010, p. 4.
- SKD (1999). "Dodávky tramvají v letech 1991-1999" [Tram deliveries in 1991-1999]. SKD. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- Railway Technology (2001). Manila Light Rail Extension operated by Metro Transit Corporation, Philippines (Report). Verdict Media Limited. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- "the most popular tram in the world - PCC, part 3: Czechoslovakia". Krakow public transport. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- "Tatra RT8D5 (In Czech)". Czech Trams. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- Pražské tramvaje (2001). "RT8D5M". prazketramvaje.cz. ISSN 1801-9994. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- "Passenger information system to be installed in LRT, MRT". BusinessWorld. March 27, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- SKD (1997). Crash testy vozu RT8D5M ev.č.0029 "Manila" [Crash test documentation of RT8D5M prototype car 0029 for Manila] (Video) (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: Prazketramvaje. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- DOTC_Lot2 2010.
- Geronimo, Gian (November 3, 2012). "MRT train coach catches fire near Kamuning Station". GMA News Online. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- Pineda, Mj Lising (August 13, 2014). "MRT-3 Gets Derailed". Buhaykolehiyo. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014.
- Camus, Miguel R. (August 19, 2014). "DOTC: Human error blamed for MRT-3 train accident; 4 train workers face raps". Inquirer.net. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- Lagrimas, Nicole-Anne (November 16, 2017). "Up to 140 riders evacuated from 'detached train'". GMA News Online. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
Further reading
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to MRTC Class 3000. |
- Vodička, Radek (2008). Změna konstrukce stávající Kuželové převodovky tramvaje [The modification of the construction of the existing bevel gearbox of tram] (PDF) (Thesis). p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- DOTC MRT3 (2010). MRT–3 CAPEX Lot 2: Upgrade of the Ancillary Systems (PDF) (Report). DOTr. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- Official DOTC MRT3 Website
- Pražské tramvaje (2001). RT8D5M (Text and image gallery) (in Czech). Prague. ISSN 1801-9994. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- Website of the tram manufacturer, ČKD