President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Transportation to expedite the inspection and necessary adjustments of the remaining unused trains from China, allowing their immediate deployment to benefit the Filipino commuting public.

President Marcos also directed the DOTr to conduct regular maintenance work on LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 to prevent disruptions and ensure the safety of passengers.

“Inatasan naman ng Pangulo ang DOTr na pabilisin pa ang inspeksyon sa mga natitirang Dalian trains para magamit na ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing at Malacañang on Thursday.

After more than a decade in storage, the Dalian trains purchased from China in 2014 have finally entered service, President Marcos announced on July 16.

“2014 pa nabili ng gobyerno ang mga tren pero hindi pa rin ito napakinabangan ng taumbayan kaya’t ginawan ng paraan ng mga eksperto para maging operational at magamit ang mga ito,” Castro said.

“Nasayang ang potential ng Dalian trains noong mga nakaraang administrasyon kaya’t minabuti ng Pangulo na ipaayos ang mga bagon para sa ating mga kababayan,” Castro added.

The Chief Executive ordered continued improvements in train stations, including ensuring that all escalators and elevators are in good working condition to avoid public inconvenience.

The Dalian trains, named after the city in China where they were manufactured, were initially left unused due to technical compatibility issues with local rail systems.

On July 16, President Marcos led the first batch of passengers on the inaugural trip of the Dalian train at the Santolan–Anapolis MRT station, expressing satisfaction over the long-overdue progress. ǀ PND