MANILA- The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 will shorten operating hours by an hour to give more time for maintenance work, a transport official said Thursday.

Starting Friday, train operations will begin at 5:30 a.m. while the last train will leave at 10:30 p.m, MRT operations director Michael Capati told reporters.

The operating hours were adjusted after a coach was separated from the rest of the train on Thursday morning. There were no reported injuries in the incident.

"Makakatipid tayo diyan ng another 30 minutes na gagamitin natin sa pagme-maintain at pag-evaluate ng tren," he said.

(We can save another 30 minutes that we can use to maintain and evaluate our trains.)

When under regular operations, the MRT opens at 5 a.m. and ends at 11 p.m.

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Earlier this week, a woman's right arm was severed in a freak accident at the Ayala Station after it was caught in a "coupler" or link between two train cars.

• Severed arm reattached to woman in MRT accident

More rail marshals will also be deployed starting Friday for additional security of commuters, Capati said.

Despite the recent incidents, Capati assured commuters that the MRT was safe.

"Lahat po ng tren na ating nilalabas po ay safe and functional," he said.

(All trains that we deploy are safe and functional.)

The MRT, which runs the length of EDSA from Quezon City to Pasay City, ferries about half a million commuters daily.