All rail lines in Luzon are back and running after safety checks ensured their safe operation following a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Batangas. In separate advisories on Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported that the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), Line 2 (LRT-2), MRT-3, and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) have reported no damage and have resumed normal operations. MRT-3 officer-in-charge Jorjette Aquino said 13 MRT-3 trains returned to normal operation at 11:35 a.m. Mandatory systems check made by MRT-3 technical personnel found no abnormalities in the rail line. Aquino also personally led visual safety checks at Magallanes Station. 'Nagpapasalamat po kami sa pang-unawa at kooperasyon ng lahat ng aming mga pasahero na nagbigay-daan sa maayos na pagbabalik-operasyon ng MRT-3 (We thank our passengers for their understanding and cooperation that allowed for the proper return to operation of the MRT-3),' she said. She noted that no injuries were reported among MRT-3 passengers. The MRT-3 was the third rail line that resumed operation, with both the LRT-1 and LRT-2 up and running at around 11 a.m. after no damage or structural defects were found. At 11:39 a.m., the PNR was the last rail service to return to operation. Earlier, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said a 6.3 magnitude tectonic earthquake jolted Batangas at around 10:19 a.m. -- around 15 kilometers southwest of Calatagan. Intensity IV to II was felt in different parts of Batangas, the National Capital Region, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan
Source: Philippines News Agency