LRT-1 train runs with door open

MANILA, Philippines — A video showing a Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) train running with one of its doors still open has gone viral. 

Commuter Jason Ibe, who posted on Monday a short video of his LRT-1 ride, said that he rode “a skip train” at the Vito Cruz station when he noticed that some commuters were laughing and shouting upon seeing that the train door failed to close. 

The video of Ibe’s trip, which he likened to a ride at the Star City theme park, gained 1,400 reactions and 183 comments. It was shared 225 times and was viewed 414 times as of yesterday afternoon.   

“Bucket list achieved: Ride the LRT with the door open,” Ibe said.

Ibe said it was a good thing that the incident involved a skip train, which means that fewer commuters rode it. A skip train only stops at certain stations.

Ibe said that the incident was only noticed by LRT-1 personnel after one of the commuters called the attention of the security guard, who sought help from the maintenance personnel at the Quirino Avenue station. 

Rod Bulario, LRT-1 director for operations, blamed an unidentified commuter who forcibly opened the door to get inside the train. The move was caught on surveillance footage, but the man’s face was not clearly seen.

Bulario said they could not run after the commuter as he immediately left the station after alighting from the train.  

Asked if it was the same train that figured in a similar incident in March 2016, Bulario said the train is part of the second generation while the train in the earlier incident is from the first generation. 

He added that the incident last year was due to a failure of certain parts and they have been repaired. Monday’s incident was an “isolated case” because the door was opened deliberately.

He said the train was set aside for rehabilitation on Jan. 16. 

Bulario appealed to commuters to refrain from stopping train doors from closing.