The first batch of the 120 light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 has arrived and may soon be deployed once tested and commissioned.
During the arrival ceremonies for the first 4 LRVs for the oldest overhead railway system in Southeast Asia, government and private sector officials underscored the importance of the expansion project, expressing their elation for this development that took 19 years in the making.
“Nineteen years ago, this project was started. So, under the Duterte administration, we pushed and pushed hard. That is why today, we see the steps of the whole realization of this project—partial operability within this year, by accepting the trains and the cars,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said.
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan said the procurement for additional LRT 1 train cars was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Investment Coordination Council in August 2000. But due to implementation challenges, the financing was only secured 13 years later.
In 2017, with the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), the contract was finally awarded to the consortium of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) and CMX.
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa said the arrival the new light rail vehicles “signals a major uplift to its operations.”
“This fourth generation train set manufactured by CAF, Spain’s largest rolling stock manufacturer, is powered by select Japanese products and technology. Previously, I served as an Ambassador to Spain, and I feel particularly upbeat about this Japan-Philippines-Spain trilateral cooperation. Our project contractor, Mitsubishi Corp., is working double time for the rehabilitation of LRT 1, and CAF’s rolling stock will surely be a vital component,” Koshikawa said.
The rest of the train sets will arrive in batches from now through the second quarter of 2022. In total, 30 train sets—equivalent to 120 LRVs—will help boost the existing capacity of LRT 1, decreasing the headway of the existing line from 4.24 minutes to 2.75 minutes.
The new trains will also be used for the extension of the train line to Cavite. Currently, Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) is halfway through the project, according to LRMC President and CEO Juan Alfonso.
“LRMC is honored to be working closely with the Department of Transportation [DOTr] and Light Rail Transit Authority [LRTA] in planning and preparing for this much-awaited milestone for LRT-1. Today is an excellent showcase of how a strong partnership between the public and private sectors can benefit our Filipino commuters,” said Alfonso.
“Since the start of the civil works in September 2019, our percentage completion rate has already reached 50 percent. To date, we have started bored piling works at the Redemptorist and City of Dreams areas. We have completed 100 percent of Dr. Santos station foundation, 80 percent of MIA Station foundation, 50 percent of bored piling works, 30 percent of Pier column installation. Bored piling works are ongoing along Parañaque River. We have casted 28 percent of the pi-girders and launched 10.34 percent of the pi-girders.”
Targeted for completion in about four years after the delivery of easement, the 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension will connect into the existing system immediately south of the Baclaran Station and run in a generally southerly direction to Niyog, Cavite.