The Department of Transportation clarified over the weekend that the MRT-3’s upcoming privatization will only transfer the railway’s operation and maintenance duties, with the government retaining asset ownership and fare-setting authority in a public-private partnership. The statement came from DOTr undersecretary Timothy John Batan in an interview with Super Radyo DZbb covered by GMA News Online.
News of the MRT-3’s privatization drew mixed reactions online. While some hope that a private operator will be able to bring much-needed improvements for passengers, many commenters are concerned that a profit-focused operator could price out commuters entirely.
PHOTO BY DOTr MRT-3 Facebook Page
Batan said: “Hindi po natin ibinebenta o inililipat ang pagmamay-ari ng MRT-3 sa pribadong sektor, kung sino man po ang mananalo. Mananatili po ang pagmamay-ari ng MRT-3, mananatili po ang pagtatakda ng pasahe, ng service quality requirements, ng performance standards. Ito po ay mananatili sa kamay ng gobyerno.” Additionally, the government will have the authority to impose sanctions and penalties should the private operator fail to meet standards.
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He further clarified that the goal of MRT-3’s privatization is not to generate revenue for the government, but to improve service quality for commuters; this improvement would come primarily through expanding the railway’s daily capacity. While MRT-3 reportedly has a daily passenger capacity of 500,000, the DOTr is currently studying the feasibility of raising this number to at least 800,000.
Last week, on October 21, the MRT-3 recorded a daily ridership high for 2026, with 506,904 passengers. The following day, a train door failure at the Araneta-Cubao station caused delays across the entire line.
PHOTO BY Department of Transportation Facebook Page
The DOTr aims to finalize the terms of the public-private partnership by December this year, with open bidding from solicited prospective concessionaires commencing next year. Barring unforeseen delays, the Department will award the MRT-3 contract in Q3 2027.
The LRT-2 and the North-South Commuter Railway are also under consideration for privatization, under a similar public-private partnership. The DOTr hopes to bid these lines out before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term.