Timeline: LRT, MRT construction

MANILA, Philippines - July 12, 1980 – President Ferdinand Marcos creates the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) as a government agency chaired by then first lady and governor of Metro Manila Imelda Marcos.

October 1981 – Construction of the lines of the LRT starts under the Construction and Development Corp. of the Philippines (CDCP).

Dec. 1, 1984 – Nine months after test-runs, LRT Line 1 from Baclaran to Central Terminal is opened to the public.

May 12, 1985 – LRT Line 1 stations from Central Terminal to Monumento start operations.

Sept. 16, 1997 – Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 (MRT 3) starts construction after the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) signs an amended turnkey contract.

Dec. 15, 1999 – Initial sections from North Avenue to Buendia of the MRT 3 start operations.

July 20, 2000 – The remaining sections from Buendia to Taft Avenue of the MRT 3 begin operations.

April 5, 2003 – Phase One of LRT Line 2 covering the stations of Santolan, Katipunan, Anonas and Araneta Center-Cubao start operations while Phase Two, from Betty Go-Belmonte to Legarda, is inaugurated a year later.

Oct. 29, 2004 – LRTA activates operation of the LRT Line 2 last station, Recto.

March 22, 2010 – LRT Line 1 stations from Monumento to Balintawak begin operations while terminals from Balin-tawak to Roosevelt is launched in October of the same year.

Sept. 9, 2011 – Fare collection system used by passengers shifts from token-based to ticket-based.

March 22, 2012 – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board approves the P60-billion extension of the LRT Line 1 from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.

September 2012 – NEDA approves the LRT Line 2 East extension project from Marikina to Masinag, Antipolo worth P9.76 billion.

June 12, 2013 – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) conducts open bidding to supply trains for the MRT 3 as part of the capacity expansion project pegged at P3.77 billion. The 48 light rail vehicles to be added to the current 73 trains are expected to decongest the MRT 3 by allowing more cars to operate at a faster interval rate during peak hours.

Source: LRTA, DOTC websites