Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 18, 2006



The Manila Metro Rail Transit System is part of the main metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. Only one line exists within this network, and that is MRT-3, called the Blue Line. Although the network has characteristics of light rail, such as the type of rolling stock used, the system is more akin to a rapid transit system. The MRT forms part of Metro Manila's rail transport infrastructure, the Strong Republic Transit System. Although one of the original purposes of the system was to decongest Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, one of Metro Manila's main thoroughfares and home to the MRT, many commuters who ride the MRT also take various forms of road-based public transport to reach the intended destination from an MRT station. While this forms a comprehensive transportation system serving many parts of Metro Manila, the system has only been partially successful in decongesting the very busy thoroughfare. The expansion of the system to cover the entire stretch of EDSA is expected to contribute to current attempts to decongest the thoroughfare and to cut travel times on one of the Philippines' busiest roadways. The system is operated by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation, a private company operating in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications under a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement. (more...)

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