Final leg of LRT-1 extension stalled until 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) may have to wait until 2026 to build the remaining phases of the Cavite extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) due to delays in the acquisition of right of way (ROW).

Transportation Undersecretary Jeremy Regino told reporters the government has procured 80 percent of the ROW for the remaining segments of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project.

However, Regino estimates that it would take the rest of 2024 and the whole of 2025 to acquire the remainder of the properties, leaving 2026 as the earliest time for LRMC to start construction of the railway.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is relocating utility poles standing in the way of the alignment of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project. Regino said this takes time given how big some of the poles are, apart from the need to ensure that power supply is uninterrupted.

“There are certain utilities relocation that need to be done, but it is already more than 80 percent completed for the ROW of the second and third segments. It is just the relocation of utilities that needs to be done in a few lots,” Regino said.

“What we are targeting is, hopefully, next year we will be able to complete all of that (ROW), by the end of next year,” he added.

The second phase of the extension, covering 3.2 kilometers, will put up the Las Piñas and Zapote Stations, while the final segment of the project will span 2.4 kilometers to Bacoor, Cavite.

In its entirety, the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project will add close to 12 kilometers to the existing line, raising its total number of stations to 28, from 20.

For commuters, the extension means that their travel time between Pasay City and Cavite will be cut to just 30 minutes, from 1.5 hours currently. All in all, the LRT-1 is expected to ferry as many as 800,000 passengers per day once it is expanded.

LRMC, operator of the LRT-1, will open the first leg of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project this year. The project will add five stations to the railway, namely, Redemptorist, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino and Dr. Santos.

The LRT-1 is suspending operations for three weekends – Aug. 17 to 18; Aug. 24 to 25; and Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 – to integrate the current and expansion lines.

Initially, the LRT-1 was estimated to cost P64.2 billion, but LRMC had to spend P4 billion more to pay for the construction delays as a result of the pandemic lockdowns.