MANILA, Philippines—The Light Rail Manila Corporation has adjusted the train service hours it will apply to LRT-1 in light of the government’s move placing the NCR and surrounding provinces under enhanced community quarantine and for the long holiday break.

For March 29 to 30, the first trip will leave at 4:30 in the morning from both start-off stations in Baclaran, Parañaque and in Balintawak, Quezon City.  The last trip, on the other hand, will leave Baclaran at 9:30 PM and 9:45 PM from Balintawak.

LRT-1 operations will be suspended from March 31 to April 4 to give way to maintenance activities during the long holiday.

Regular train schedules will resume on the following Monday, April 5, from 4:30 AM to 9:15 PM from Baclaran and 9:30 PM from Balintawak.

“The shortened operating hours from April 5, 2021 onwards will also allow LRMC to perform safety and integration tests for the upgrading of the LRT-1 signaling system, as well as prepare for the commercial run of our new Gen-4 trains in the last quarter of the year,” the LRMC said.

The LRT management also said that Roosevelt station remains temporarily closed, giving way to construction works at the Unified Grand Central Station on North Ave.—mbmf

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has unveiled the first batch of new trains that will be deployed for the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension project.

The four new train cars, which were ordered from Spain and Mexico, were presented on Tuesday, January 26.

These are part of the 120 train cars that will form 30 four-car trains that can accommodate up to 750,000 passengers daily. The LRT-1 currently serves 500,000 commuters daily.

“This fourth generation of Light Rail Vehicles will more than doubled the number of operations LRVS of LRT from 86 LRVs IN 2016 up to 192 LRVs by 2022,” Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said.

The DOTr said the new train cars feature more allotment areas for passengers and better cooling fans that will help lengthen the service life of the cooling system.

Once the delivery of new trains is complete, the LRT-1 will have 48 train sets from the current 34 train sets.

According to Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), which operates the LRT-1, the construction of the Cavite extension project is now 50% percent complete.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade is eyeing partial operability of the LRT-1 extension project by the fourth quarter of this year.

“I asked the rail sector and I asked the LRTA and the LRMC to make sure that partially operability of this project can materialize by December of this year. I don’t mind hitting 1 or 2 stations but scot to be partially operational,” Tugade said.

The LRT-1 Cavite extension project will stretch across Baclaran to Niog in Bacoor, Cavite. Upon completion, travel time from Manila to Cavite will be trimmed down to just 25 minutes, from the current 1 hour and 10 minutes.

The project was funded through a loan extended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Joan Nano)

MANILA, Philippines — The Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) management has temporarily opened three additional lanes to ease the flow of traffic south of Metro Manila.

Since December 1, motorists have been allowed to ply the newly constructed Parañaque, Wawa, and Las Piñas bridges that are part of the CAVITEx R1 Bridge Widening Project. 

The CAVITEx management reminds motorists to be extra cautious in using the said roads to prevent accidents and inconveniences.

Motorists may contact the CAVITEx management at Hotline numbers (02) 165-8888 in case of concerns and emergencies.