The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has planned to bid out the concession for the operations and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) by Q1 of 2025 in Manila, Philippines.

The DOTr is seeking a new operator for the MRT-3 as the contract with the Sobrepena-led Metro Rail Transit Corp. expires in 2025. Conglomerates like San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) have shown interest in taking over the railway. For SMC and MPIC, gaining control of the MRT-3 is essential to integrating their metro rail businesses. MPIC already holds a majority stake in the operator of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), while SMC is developing the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), which will run from Quezon City to Bulacan. The MRT-3 will connect to the LRT-1 and MRT-7 once the government completes the civil works for the Unified Grand Central Station.