Metro railways temporarily stop operations after Christmas quake
MANILA, Philippines — The three railway systems in Metro Manila temporarily stopped its operations on Friday to check for possible damage that was caused by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that rocked several Luzon areas.
In a tweet, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said that LRT-2 suspended its trips at 9:38 a.m. to inspect for possible damages.
“To ensure passenger safety, LRT-2 temporarily suspends operations after the magnitude 6.3 earthquake this morning. Our Engineering, Maintenance, and Safety & Security Team is currently conducting foot patrol inspection to assess the integrity of LRT-2 structures,” LRTA, which manages LRT-2, said.
More than two hours later, LRTA said LRT-2 operations resumed after the trains were “declared safe and fit for operations.”
UPDATE: LRT-2 operations resumed at 11:10 a.m.
— LRT2 (@OfficialLRTA) December 25, 2020
The Christmas day earthquake also prompted the Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1) to suspend its operations at 8:45 a.m.
“A stop for safety has been put in place from Baclaran to Balintawak due to an experienced earthquake. Inspection of the vicinity is ongoing to ensure the safety of the passengers. Please standby for updates,” read the tweet from LRT-1 management.
UPDATE: As of 8:45 AM, 12-25- 2020,⚠️ A stop for safety has been put in place from Baclaran to Balintawak due to experienced earthquake. Inspection of the vicinity is ongoing to ensure the safety of the passengers. Please standby for updates. ⚠️
— Light Rail Manila Corporation (@officialLRT1) December 25, 2020
After more than 10 minutes, LRT-1 resumed its operations.
“UPDATE: As of 08:58AM, We are Green and Go on all 19 stations of LRT1. Merry Christmas and ingat po sa biyahe!” read the tweet.
In a separate statement, the Metro Rail Transit System 3 (MRT-3) advised its drivers to stop at the nearest station to temporarily halt operations due to the magnitude 6.3 quake.
“At 7:43AM, an earthquake was felt in Metro Manila. All train drivers were advised to stop at the nearest station for precautionary measures,” read the statement.
The train management then announced resumption of their operations at 8:32 a.m.
MRT-3 management also noted that inspection of its buildings and facilities is still ongoing to check for damages.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that the epicenter of the quake was located 15 kilometers southwest of Calatagan, Batangas. The quake was felt in several parts of Luzon at 7:43 a.m. With reports from Zac Sarao, trainee
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