LRT-1 stations set for P500-M upgrade

MANILA, Philippines - Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the private concessionaire of the LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension Project, is spending P500 million to improve the existing stations of the train system.

LMRC president and chief executive officer Jesus Francisco told reporters yesterday the joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., Ayala Corp.’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte Ltd., is set to spend half a billion pesos for the station improvement project.

The improvement of the 20 stations of the existing train line will be carried out in preparation for the delivery of the new trains of the LRT 1.

“When government brings in new light rail vehicles, we expect passenger traffic to increase thus, the need to make sure that the stations are ready to handle the expanded capacity,” Francisco said.

The plan is consistent with LRMC’s commitment to provide better service and the best station environment as possible.

The station improvement project will start with the Doroteo Jose Station, the interchange terminal of LRT Lines 1 and 2 in Sta. Cruz, Manila, by December this year.

This will be followed by the two biggest stations, Central and Baclaran, and three smaller stations R. Papa, Abad Santos, and Gil Puyat, in March next year.

The rest of the 14 stations meanwhile, will have the improvement works by May and August of next year.

After the improvements, it is expected that stations will be well-lit and organized to allow better passenger flow.

“The Station Improvement Project complements our plan to enhance passenger safety, comfort and convenience and is aligned with our objective of improving the efficiency of the LRT 1 system,” Francisco said.

LRT Line 1 currently carries an average of 400,000 commuters daily from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City.

LRMC took over the operation and maintenance of LRT1 last Sept. 12.

Under the concession agreement,  LRMC will also be responsible for the construction of the 11.7-kilometer extension from the present end point at Baclaran to the Niog area in Bacoor, Cavite.

The extended rail line is expected to help increase the capacity of LRT 1 from 500,000 to 800,000 passengers daily and benefit more than four million residents in the southern part of Metro Manila and of Cavite.

Francisco said the construction of the extension of the train system could start after substantial delivery of right-of-way for the project.