We all know the sorry state of the MRT-3’s trains and how most of them break down regularly and are in dire need of replacements. But apparently that’s not the only thing that’s in dire need of replacing. James Aaron Magnum, a self described transport geek, published photos of the signalling system of the MRT-3 that has us concerned for the riding safety of the public.
In his post, James shows the alarmingly dilapidated state of the MRT-3’s main signalling system, which isn’t exactly what you’d expect from a place that controls trains with hundreds of passengers inside.
For those wondering what the pictures were, yes this is the MRT-3s signalling system..a critical part of a train system as it controls the movement, speed and direction of the trains for safe operation.
The walls and doors of the room are almost non-existent, and the ventilation for the people who work there are laughably inadequate.
If that wasn’t enough, his photos also show the antiquated signalling system that’s currently being used by the trains, which include a computer that uses a 5 1/2 floppy drive (technology that’s older than most millennials today), and a mainframe computer powered by an Ericsson CPU that utilizes a Motorola 68000 processor which he says was firt made in 1979.
The interface PC that shows the status of the line is also powered by a similarly obsolete machine – an Intel Pentium D with a whopping 256MB of RAM, running off of an older version of Windows XP.
If you were concerned about the sad state of the trains in the MRT-3, then you absolutely need to be outraged at the place that controls all of those trains. This control room is the brain of the MRT-3 system, and because of the improper care and maintenance of the room these old and sensitive electronics sit in, a major accident isn’t just a matter of if, but of when.