Firm operating LRT1 stresses need for Cavite extension line
The operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), one of three elevated railways systems in Metro Manila, underscored the need to start work on a crucial extension line to Cavite province.
Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), backed by conglomerates Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., issued a statement Wednesday, saying the 11.7-km LRT extension to the Niog area in Bacoor would “improve the quality of life for residents in the three cities south of the metropolis.”
The project has suffered delays due to the acquisition of right-of-way, a significant portion of which has yet to be delivered by the government. Metro Pacific said in its 2018 first quarter briefing that it expects to start work on the extension line in the second half of the year.
In the statement, LRMC President Juan Alfonso said travel time from Baclaran to Bacoor would be reducted to 30 minutes from the current 1.5 hours.
“You don’t have to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. to be in Manila for work because you know the train will be there every three and a half minutes or so and that travel time is very predictable, is traffic-free,” he added.
Groundbreaking a year ago
The Department of Transportation and LRMC led a ceremonial groundbreaking event for the LRT1 Cavite extension in May last year.
The project is a public private partnership contract that LRMC won in 2014. It includes the Cavite extension and a 32-year concession period to operate the entire LRT1, which currently serves over 400,000 passengers per day between Baclaran and Monumento in Caloocan City.
Alfonso also reported that LRMC had so far invested P7.5 billion in the LRT1 since it assumed operations in September 2015. The funds mainly went toward the “improvement of operational efficiencies and customer experience.”
LRT1’s fleet stood at 109 cars as of March 2018 and is expected to increase to 121 cars by yearend.
The increased number of train cars has resulted in a 9.7-percent increase in average daily trips, from 505 to 554.
