Manila Light Rail Transit System
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A Yellow Line train stopping at a station |
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A Purple Line train parked at Santolan station. Shown are five members of the Japanese House of Councillors and former LRTA administrator Teddy Cruz, Jr. (extreme right). The Purple Line was built with Japanese ODA funds. |
The
Manila Light Rail Transit System, popularly known as the
LRT, is the main metropolitan rail system serving the
Metro Manila area in the
Philippines. There are two lines to the LRT: LRT-1, called the Yellow Line, and MRT-2, called the Purple Line. Although the system is referred to as a "
light rail" system, arguably because the network is mostly elevated, the system is more akin to a
rapid transit (metro) system. The Manila LRT is the first metro system in
Southeast Asia, predating the
Singapore MRT by three years. The system is not related to the
Manila Metro Rail Transit System, or the Blue Line, which forms a completely different but linked system.
The LRT forms part of Metro Manila's rail transportation infrastructure, known as the
Strong Republic Transit System (SRTS),
[GMA Launches transit system, Philippine Star, July 15, 2003] and overall
public transport system. Although one of the original purposes of the system was to reduce
traffic congestion in the metropolis, many commuters who ride the LRT also take various forms of road-based public transport, such as
buses, to reach the intended destination from an LRT station and vice-versa. While this forms a comprehensive transportation system serving many parts of Metro Manila, the system has only been partially successful in cutting traffic congestion and travel times, which is further aggravated by the rising number of motor vehicles in Metro Manila.
[NUMBER OF MOTOR VEHICLES REGISTERED: Comparative, JAN.- DEC. 2003, 2004, 2005, Land Transportation Office, January 23, 2006] The network's expansion, which has been touted by successive administrations since the LRT's inception, is set upon tackling this problem.
The system is operated by the
Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), a government-owned and controlled corporation under the authority of the
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) as an attached agency.
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System map of the Manila LRT |
The LRT by itself consists of two lines: the
Yellow Line and the
Purple Line. The Yellow Line consists of eighteen stations in a general north-south direction over 15 kilometers of fully elevated track. The line commences at
Baclaran and ends in
Monumento. The Purple Line consists of eleven stations in a general east-west direction over 13.8 kilometers of mostly elevated track, with
Katipunan station lying underground. The line commences at
Recto and ends in
Santolan. Overall, the network has
29 stations over 28.8 kilometers of track, passing through the cities of
Caloocan,
Manila,
Marikina,
Pasay,
Pasig,
Quezon City and the municipality of
San Juan.
Although only two stations exist as
interchange stations between the Yellow and Purple Lines, namely,
Doroteo Jose and Recto stations,
Araneta Center-Cubao (marked as
Cubao on the map) and
EDSA stations also serve as interchange stations between the LRT network and the
Blue Line. The network also has six terminal stations: Baclaran,
Central Terminal and Monumento stations for the Yellow Line; and Recto, Araneta Center-Cubao and Santolan stations for the Purple Line. All terminal stations have been designated as transport hubs, where commuters can take other forms of public transport to areas to and from the station.
Both lines are open from 5:00 am
PST (
UTC+8) until 9:30 pm for the Yellow Line and until 10:00 pm for the Purple Line. On weekends, the Purple Line operates on a shortened schedule from 6:00 am until 8:00 pm. Special schedules, if necessary, are announced via the
PA system in every station and on the LRTA website.
The LRT is open every day of the year except when announced. However, the system is closed during the
Holy Week for yearly maintenance, owing to fewer commuters in Metro Manila who would patronize the system, as well as lower levels of traffic congestion. Normal operations resume after
Easter Sunday.
The roots of the LRT date back to the American colonial period. In 1905, the first
tramvia, or tram, opened in
Manila and soon grew to five lines servicing many parts of the city of Manila and its outskirts. The trams were hailed as an efficient system for the city's 220,000 inhabitants. The trams were operated by the
Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company (Meralco). The current LRT network follows the paths of two of the old tramvia lines.
The tramvia was shut down during
World War II. After the war, the city was virtually destroyed, including the tramvia. Manila was second only to
Warsaw in damage during the war.
The colorful
jeepney restarted Manila's transportation links after the war. Soon,
buses and
cars were back on Manila's streets.
Regional rail services operated by the
Philippine National Railways (PNR) were also restored. The problem, however, was congestion and ignorance of traffic regulations.
In 1966, the Philippine government, recognizing the need for an efficient mass transit system, granted a franchise to
Philippine Monorail Transport Systems in order to start a
monorail system in the city. Before the project could even get started, the
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was asked to do a transport study. Its studies proposed a series of circumferential and radial roads, an inner-city rapid transit system, a commuter railway, and an expressway with three branches. A further study was made on how to implement these systems. Many recommendations were put in place, but none of the recommendations involved rapid transit.
Another study, conducted from 1976 to 1977, done by
Freeman, Fox & Associates and funded by the
World Bank, suggested a street-level railway. The newly-formed Ministry of Transportation and Communications (now the
DOTC) then revised the recommendations, which called for an elevated system because of the city's many intersections. The revised recommendation, however, increased the price of the project from 1.5 billion
pesos to 2 billion pesos. A supplementary study was conducted by another foreign firm and was done within three months.
On
July 12,
1980, President
Ferdinand Marcos created the
Light Rail Transit Authority by virtue of Executive Order No. 603,
[Executive Order No. 603, Light Rail Transit Authority Company Profile, retrieved April 7, 2006] which was subsequently amended two years later,
[Executive Order No. 830, Light Rail Transit Authority Company Profile, retrieved April 7, 2006] and again in 1987.
[Executive Order No. 210, Light Rail Transit Authority Company Profile, retrieved April 7, 2006] The head of the newly-formed LRTA was the Governor of
Metro Manila, Minister of Human Settlements and First Lady,
Imelda Marcos. The LRTA was responsible for all operations of the Manila LRT but primarily confined itself to setting and regulating fares, planning extensions, and determining the rules and policies of the LRT. This new project by the LRTA became known as the "Metrorail" (Yellow Line) and was operated by a sister company of
Meralco called Metro, Inc.
Initial assistance for the project came from a three hundred million-peso
soft loan from the
Belgian government. Seven hundred million more pesos came from a consortium of companies comprising Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi (ACEC) and BN Constructions Ferroviaires et Métalliques (both companies are now part of
Bombardier Transportation),
Tractionnel Engineering International (TEI) and
Transurb Consult (TC). The consortium provided everything the system needed, from the trains to the needed training. Although the system was expected to pay for itself from revenues within twenty years of the start of operation, it was estimated it would lose money until at least 1993. Against an expected profit of 365 million pesos on its first year of operation, the system was expected to lose 216 million.
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Construction of the bridge linking the northern and southern portions of LRT-1 |
Construction on what would be today's Yellow Line started in October of 1981 by the Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines (now the
Philippine National Construction Corporation) with assistance from
Losinger, a
Swiss firm, and the Philippine subsidiary of
Dravo, an
American firm. The government appointed
Electrowatt Engineering Services of
Zürich to oversee construction and eventually became responsible for extension studies for future projects. During construction, the company opened offices in Manila and eventually foresaw a network with 150 kilometers of routes along all major corridors within twenty years. The network envisaged by Electrowatt largely forms the basis for current expansion plans.
The LRT was first test-ran in March of 1984 with the first half of the Yellow Line, from
Baclaran to
Central Terminal, being officially opened to the public on
December 1,
1984. The second half, from Central Terminal to
Monumento, was opened on
May 12,
1985.
After a few years from opening, however, overcrowding and heavy usage would finally take its toll on the LRT. In 1990, for example, the Yellow Line fell so far into disrepair due to premature wear and tear that trains headed to Central Terminal station had to crawl to the station to avoid further damage to the support beams below, due to cracks that appeared on the support beams.
[The Metro Manila LRT Systemâ€"A Historical Perspective, Gary L. Satre, Japan Railway and Transport Review, retrieved May 8, 2006] The premature ageing of the Yellow Line led to a massive refurbishing and structural capacity expansion program which is still being implemented today.
The LRT's next line, the Purple Line, started construction in the 1990s. For the next few years, LRT operations would run smoothly until 2000, when the employees of Metro, Inc. held a strike against the LRTA and paralyzed Yellow Line operations from
July 25 to
August 2,
2000. Due to this, the LRTA did not renew its operating contract with Metro, Inc., which expired on August 31 of that year.
On
April 5,
2003, the first section of the Purple Line, from
Santolan to
Araneta Center-Cubao, was opened. The second section, from Araneta Center-Cubao to
Legarda, was opened exactly a year later, with the line being fully operational by
October 29,
2004.
[LRT - Recto Station Opens, People's Journal, October 28, 2004] During that time, the already-existing Yellow Line was also modernized, with new
magnetic stripe plastic tickets and automated ticketing systems, as well as
air-conditioned trains. Connections between the Yellow, Purple and
Blue Lines,
[The Missing Links: Now a Reality, Light Rail Transit Authority Project Update, retrieved April 7, 2006] as well as other projects, were also completed. In 2006, the LRTA made a profit of 68 million pesos, the first time the agency made a profit since the LRT became operational in 1984.
[LRTA posts profit, pays P23M in income taxes, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 24, 2006] |
Exterior of Doroteo Jose station with the walkway connecting it to nearby Recto station. |
With the exception of
Katipunan station, all stations on the LRT are above-ground. As of 2004, approximately 380,000 commuters use the LRT network every day.
Station layout and accessibility
LRT stations usually follow two different layouts. Yellow Line stations comprise only of one level, which combines the two areas of all LRT stations: the concourse and platform areas, which are separated by fare gates. However, Yellow Line terminal stations, like
Baclaran, and all Purple Line stations comprise of two levels: the concourse level, which is the non-paid area, and the platform level. Usually, the concourse and platform areas are separated by the fare gates near the station platforms at Yellow Line stations, while fare gates separate the concourse level from the access points to the platform level, such as
stairs and
escalators, at Yellow Line terminal stations and on the Purple Line.
The concourse contains the ticket counters where tickets are purchased at Yellow Line stations, while the concourse at Purple Line stations contains the ticket vending machines where tickets are purchased. Some stations, such as
Libertad, are connected to nearby buildings, such as
shopping malls, at the concourse, for easier accessibility to those places.
All Yellow and Purple Line stations have
side platforms. Part of the platform is cordoned off on the Yellow Line for the use of women passengers and their companions, elderly, and disabled passengers, as the first car in trains on the line are reserved for the use of those passengers. It is currently unknown whether this is done for Purple Line trains. In order to access the other platform, one must exit the station and re-enter on the other side, although this is not the case with the Purple Line. Like many other metro systems, the LRT has restrooms in all stations at the concourse.
The LRT was not originally built with accessibility in mind. This is reflected in the Yellow Line's lack of
barrier-free facilities, such as escalators,
elevators or wide fare gates. However, the Purple Line, unlike its counterpart, is designed to be barrier-free,
[LRT 2, Victory Liner are PWD-Friendly: PAVIC, Light Rail Transit Authority Press Release, August 2, 2004] with escalators and elevators in every station, as well as
Braille tactiles leading to the station platforms from the escalators and elevators. Elevators also contain Braille writing. Purple Line trains also have special areas for
wheelchair-bound passengers, a facility that Yellow Line trains lack.
Shops and services
Located in the concourse of all LRT stations is at least one stall that sells food and drinks. The stalls found usually depend on the station, but some stations have
Dimsum 'n Dumplings,
Waffle Time and other food stalls. Usually, stations would have 1-2 food stalls in the concourse area. Other services, such as stores where you can purchase
mobile phone credits,
ATMs and stores that sell other goods are usually found at street level outside the station.
Some stations, such as
Central Terminal and
Araneta Center-Cubao, are directly connected to or are near shopping malls and other large shopping areas, where passengers are offered more shopping varieties.
In cooperation with the
Philippine Daily Inquirer, commuters are offered a copy of the
Inquirer Libre, a free,
tabloid-size,
Tagalog version of the Inquirer, which is available from 6 am until supplies run out at the station. It is available in all Yellow Line stations except
Bambang, Central Terminal,
Quirino Avenue and
Vito Cruz, and is also available at
Santolan and
Katipunan stations on the Purple Line.
The LRT has always presented itself as a safe system to travel in. This has been affirmed by the LRTA and by government officials and so far the LRT has lived up to that reputation. Safety notices in both
English and
Tagalog are also a common sight at LRT stations and inside LRT trains.
Incidents and accidents
Incidents and accidents are rare aboard the LRT, but there have been notable events throughout the LRT's history:
| Date | Station | Event | | December 30, 2000 | Blumentritt | On Rizal Day, a Yellow Line car exploded near Blumentritt station as part of a series of explosions in a terrorist attack known as the Rizal Day bombings. The attack on the LRT killed some 22 people and injured hundreds. Eight members of both Jemaah Islamiyah and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which include Hambali, Asia's most wanted man, and the late Fathur Roman al-Ghozi, were charged with plotting and masterminding the attacks in 2003, some three years after the attacks. Three suspects are now on trial.[Terrorist raps filed vs Asia's most wanted man, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 8, 2003][DOJ Indicts Asia's Most Wanted Terrorist in 2000 LRT Bombing, Department of Justice Press Release, July 7, 2003] |
| May 5, 2005 | Doroteo Jose | Lea Aquino Ababa of Pasay City gave birth to a baby girl inside Doroteo Jose station on her way to Fabella Memorial Hospital for a checkup, the first time a baby was born and the first time an LRT passenger gave birth inside an LRT station. She was named Dorotea, after the name of the station.[Childbirth at Doroteo Jose Station, Light Rail Transit Authority Press Release, December 1, 2005] |
| Late May 2005 | Vito Cruz | A fisherman jumped off a moving LRT train headed northbound and landed on the tracks. After that incident, he was then subsequently hit by a southbound LRT train, with the man being dragged under the train until the train stopped at Vito Cruz station at about 3:00 pm. LRTA employees then took him to Philippine General Hospital, where he suffered from massive head injuries and eventually died at 8:00 pm. Police say it was an apparent suicide after his wife left him for another man. |
| August 18, 2005 | Unknown | In a report by the Philippine Star on August 18, 2005, another man was either pushed off or jumped off a moving LRT train, landing on the tracks. He was then hit by another LRT train. LRTA officials called a code yellow alert and brought the man to the hospital. As of press time, the man was in critical condition. |
| June 22, 2006 | Santolan and Katipunan | At about 6:15 am on June 22, 2006, MRT-2 operations from Santolan to Katipunan were halted for about three hours due to a power glitch that occurred between the two stations. LRTA engineers discovered that a piece of tin that broke one of the overhead wires, causing delays for passengers who had to be transferred via coach to Anonas station, the closest open station of the network for passengers boarding from Santolan and Katipunan. Full line operations resumed by 9:30 am after the wire was repaired.[Power glitch halts LRT 2 for 3 hours, Manila Bulletin, June 22, 2006] |
| July 12, 2006 | Santolan and Katipunan | Hundreds of passengers were stranded after lightning caused by Tropical Storm Bilis (Florita) struck one of the overhead wires, causing the line to break and forcing operations from Santolan to Katipunan to stall. Operations from Recto to Anonas continued as normal while linemen were, as of press time, repairing the damaged wire.[LRT operations from Katipunan to Santolan stations stall, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 12, 2006] |
In the event of emergencies or unexpected events aboard the LRT, the following code alerts are used to inform passengers about the current state of LRT operations:
| Alert | Result | | Code Yellow 1 | Results in a slight delay in the departure and arrival of trains from the stations |
| Code Yellow 2 | Results in the temporary suspension of all LRT services due to technical problems |
Rules
Passengers at LRT stations are advised to not stay too close to the red tiles at the edge of the platforms (or yellow tiles in the case of the Purple Line) to avoid falling onto the tracks. Passengers are prohibited from eating, drinking or smoking inside the platform area of all LRT stations and inside the trains. Bags are also inspected for prohibited goods, such as chemicals and knives. Passengers are also inspected by guards using a handheld
metal detector.
Without the written consent of the LRTA,
photography of any kind is banned inside the LRT, although local and foreign media outlets are usually exempt from this restriction. This is largely due to safety reasons, such as the possible distraction of the train driver and the possibility of blinding passengers, as well as to avoid a repeat of events such as the Rizal Day bombings. Permission can be obtained by going to the LRTA headquarters in Pasay City, although there is a waiting period that usually lasts three days.
Security
In response to the Rizal Day bombings and the
September 11th attacks, security has been stepped up onboard the LRT. The
Philippine National Police has a special LRT police force,
[New task force formed to keep LRT, MRT safe, The Daily Tribune, November 13, 2004] and
security police provided by private companies can be found in all LRT stations. All LRT stations have a head guard.
The Purple Line also employs the use of
closed-circuit television inside all stations to monitor suspicious activities and to assure safety and security aboard the line. Closed-circuit television is not employed on the Yellow Line.
Passengers are also advised to look out for loose
criminals, who can take advantage of the crowding aboard LRT trains.
Wanted posters are posted at all LRT stations to help commuters identify and possibly spot a loose criminal.
The fare structure of the LRT is distance-based, with fares ranging from 12 to 15
pesos (about 23 to 29
U.S. cents), depending on the destination. Before
December 15,
2003, the Yellow Line used a flat fare of 12 pesos. The Purple Line also had a 12-peso flat fare before the line went into full operation.
[LRTA RATIONALIZES FARE STRUCTURE, Light Rail Transit Authority Press Release, December 12, 2003][Ticket and Fare Structure, Light Rail Transit Authority Passenger Information, retrieved April 6, 2006]The LRT is particularly known for its low fares. It is known for being the cheapest rapid transit system in
Southeast Asia, being significantly cheaper than other regional metro systems.
[LRT FARES LOWEST IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, Light Rail Transit Authority Press Release, December 5, 2003] |
A sample Yellow Line ticket |
Fare structure
The LRT uses two different fare structures which vary by line.
The Yellow Line has two different fare structures, one for single-journey ticket holders and one for stored-value ticket holders. Commuters in possession of single-journey tickets are charged 12 pesos for the first four stations and 15 pesos for subsequent stations. For stored-value ticket holders, commuters are charged 12 pesos for the first four stations, 13 pesos for five to eight stations, 14 pesos for nine to twelve stations and 15 pesos for more than twelve stations or the entire line.
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A sample Purple Line ticket |
The Purple Line, on the other hand, has only one fare structure for single-journey and stored-value ticket holders. Commuters are charged 12 pesos for the first three stations, 13 pesos for four to six stations, 14 pesos for seven to nine stations and 15 pesos for more than nine stations or the entire line.
Types of tickets
The LRT system uses two types of tickets: a single-journey (one-way) ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination, and a stored-value (multiple-use) ticket ranging from 100 to 200 pesos. Senior citizens or disabled passengers may buy a special stored-value ticket for 96 pesos. The same system is used on the Purple Line, with the exception that fares are same for both single-journey and stored-value tickets. The Purple Line also has a special ticket for LRTA employees, which is not employed on the Yellow Line.
The stored-value tickets of both the Yellow and Purple Lines also employ a scheme called the "Last Ride Bonus", where the final ride of the stored-value ticket is given for free, regardless of direction. A condition in using the Last Ride Bonus, however, is that the amount of money remaining in the card must be less than the minimum 12-peso LRT fare or the appropriate fare for the station of arrival from the station of departure. This is one of the few schemes that the LRTA is using to promote the use of stored-value tickets.
[LRT PASSENGERS URGED TO USE STORED VALUE TICKET, Light Rail Transit Authority Press Release, December 10, 2003] However, stored-value tickets are not reloadable.
Before 2001, Yellow Line riders would buy a token for 12 pesos. However, subsequent upgrades in the fare collection system eventually transitioned the Yellow Line from a token-based system to a ticket-based system, with full conversion to a ticket-based system by
September 9,
2001.
[The Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) Project, Light Rail Transit Authority Project Update, retrieved April 7, 2006] Tickets, though, are still sold over the counter.
Ticket machines have been installed at all stations on the Purple Line.
All Yellow and Purple Line tickets bear a picture of the incumbent
President. At present, all Yellow and Purple Line tickets bear the picture of
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; however, ticket designs vary by line.
The Flash Pass
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A sample Flash Pass Coupon |
The system also utilizes the "Flash Pass", a pass for use on all three rapid transit lines in the
Metro Manila area (the Yellow, Purple and
Blue Lines). The pass costs 250 pesos and may be used for multiple rides on any of the metro lines for one week. The system was introduced on
April 19,
2004.
[For LRT, MRT riders: 1 ticket, 3 lines, Manila Standard Today, April 20, 2004]The Flash Pass actually consists of two parts: a card and a ticket (known as a coupon). The Flash Pass Card is issued the first time a Flash Pass Coupon is purchased and is used to validate a Flash Pass Coupon, as well as to purchase subsequent Flash Pass Coupons. The card is issued free of charge; however, replacing a lost or stolen Flash Pass Card entails some paperwork, but is still replaced free of charge. The Flash Pass Coupon, on the other hand, is the actual ticket used when riding the LRT and is directly linked to the Flash Pass Card through the Flash Pass Card number printed on the coupon. Because of this, a Flash Pass Coupon cannot be used with another Flash Pass Card except the card of which the Flash Pass Coupon was issued to.
It was believed that the Flash Pass was a precursor to a unified ticketing system utilizing contactless
smart cards, similar to the
Octopus card in
Hong Kong and the
EZ-Link card in
Singapore.
[LRT, MRT smart cards for commuters, Manila Bulletin, December 10, 2003][Single Pass Rail Ticket May Be Ready Ahead of Schedule, Manila Times, February 2, 2004] However, this project has since been dropped.
[INTEGRATED TICKETING SYSTEMS FOR VARIOUS LRT LINES, National Economic and Development Authority Project Profile, retrieved April 7, 2006]Two types of rolling stock run on the LRT, with one type used on the Yellow Line and another used on the Purple Line.
Yellow Line
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A full-scale mockup of the third generation of Yellow Line trains |
The Yellow Line runs light rail vehicles made either in
South Korea by
Adtranz or in
Belgium by ACEC (both companies are now part of
Bombardier Transportation). With heavy use, three types of trains have run on the line throughout its history: a two-car train, a three-car train, and a four-car train. The two-car trains are the original ACEC trains which were eventually transformed into three-car trains, although some two-car trains remain in service. The four-car trains are the more modern Adtranz trains.
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Current Yellow Line trains parked at Baclaran depot |
The Yellow Line fleet is undergoing modernization as it copes with increasing ridership. The trains now have an increased capacity of 1350 passengers (the original two-car trains could hold 748 passengers while the modified three-car trains could hold 1122 passengers), air conditioning for the original fleet, and technical repairs.
[The LRT Line 1 Capacity Expansion Project (Phase I), Light Rail Transit Authority Project Update, retrieved April 7, 2006][The LRT Line 1 Rehabilitation I Project: Phase 3 - Rolling Stock Rehabilitation, Light Rail Transit Authority Project Update, retrieved April 7, 2006]Yellow Line rolling stock in the past was particularly notorious for their lack of air conditioning. Instead, forced-air roof ventilation was used.
[No More 'Sweaty' LRT Rides, Philippine Star, August 15, 2003] Unfortunately, the use of forced-air roof ventilation led to a very hot and stuffy ride aboard the line. The problem was first addressed in 2001 under the LRTA's still-ongoing capacity expansion program and by June 2004, all Yellow Line trains had air conditioning.
[LRT to have all air-conditioned trains by April, Manila Times, September 26, 2003][LRT Line 1 Capacity Expansion Project (Phase II): Package B, Light Rail Transit Authority Project Update, retrieved April 7, 2006]As part of the second phase of expansion on the Yellow Line, twelve new trains made in
Japan by
Kinki Sharyo and provided by the
Manila Tren Consortium will be shipped and will be ready for use by the third quarter of 2006. The new trains feature ergonomic seating and other features designed to make it more user-friendly, and are also fully air-conditioned. The new trains are expected to boost the capacity of the line from 27,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd) to 40,000 pphpd.
[3rd Generation LRV Mock Up on Display, Light Rail Transit Authority Press Release, March 9, 2006]Purple Line
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A Purple Line train headed towards Santolan depot |
The Purple Line, unlike the Yellow Line, runs full metro cars made in South Korea by
ROTEM and provided by the
Asia-Europe MRT Consortium, which is led by the
Marubeni Corporation. The Purple Line fleet runs eighteen four-car trains which have a capacity of 1622 passengers, 272 more than the Yellow Line. The line's trains also feature air-conditioning, driverless,
automatic train operations based at the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Santolan, as well as closed-circuit television inside the trains. Purple Line trains are also roomier, easier to use and more disabled-friendly than their counterparts on the Yellow Line.
Depots
There are two depots for the entire system: the Yellow Line uses Baclaran Depot, which is at LRTA headquarters in
Pasay City, near Baclaran station, while the Purple Line uses Santolan Depot in
Marikina City, near Santolan station in
Pasig City.
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A rendition of the possible LRT network after various expansions. The map also shows other parts of the SRTS, such as the Blue Line. |
Plans for expanding the LRT network have been formulated throughout its history. Successive administrations have touted the LRT as one of the keys to decongesting Metro Manila and relieving the metropolis of its long-standing traffic problems. The expansion of the LRT is one of the key projects in the ten-point agenda of President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
[SONA - Executive Summary, July 2005, Office of the President, July 21, 2005]Extensions
A southern extension of the Yellow Line, also known as LRT-6, is proposed. The extension has 10 stations over some 11.7 kilometers and will be the first line extending outside the
Metro Manila area with the line ending in
Bacoor in
Cavite. An unsolicited bid to conduct this work from Canada's
SNC-Lavalin was rejected by the Philippine government in 2005. In 2006, the government is working with advisers (
International Finance Corporation,
White & Case,
Halcrow and others) to conduct an open-market invitation to tender for the extension and a 30-year concession to run the extended LRT-1 line.
[LRTA set to bid out $841-M light rail project, Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 13, 2003][LRT 1 consortium seeks gov't. guarantee, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 20, 2005][The LRT Line 1 South Extension Project, Light Rail Transit Authority Project Update, retrieved April 7, 2006] Two further 11-kilometer extensions, one to
Imus and another to
Dasmariñas, both in Cavite, is also proposed.
A 4-kilometer eastern extension of the Purple Line from Pasig City, crossing into
Cainta in
Rizal and finally to Masinag Junction in
Antipolo City, also in Rizal, is proposed. It was approved in principle by the
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA),
[Extension of LRT Line 2 to Antipolo gets NEDA backing, Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 14, 2003] but the actual proposal is pending before the NEDA secretariat.
[Project ID 543, National Economic and Development Authority Project Profile, retrieved April 7, 2006] In the future, the line could be extended as far west as Manila North Harbor and as far east as Cogeo in Antipolo.
[The Metro Manila Strategic Mass Rail Transit Development Project: Line 2, Light Rail Transit Authority Project Update, retrieved April 6, 2006]New lines
MRT-4, a new line, is proposed. The 22.6-kilometer line starts at a station close to Recto station on the Purple Line and Doroteo Jose station on the Yellow Line, near the Old Bilibid prison, and ends in
Novaliches in
Quezon City. The line is expected to have a capacity of 550,000 passengers, the largest of all of the lines. Currently, this line has finished the bidding stage. It is suggested that the line would be renamed the Red Line.
MRT-7 is a proposed 13-station, 21-kilometer line that starts in
Quezon City and traverses through Commonwealth Avenue, passing through
Caloocan City and ending in the city of
San Jose del Monte in
Bulacan. This line finished the bidding stage and has been approved by the
Department of Justice and the
Department of Transportation and Communications.
[Mercado cites a new MRT line, Philippine Star, April 6, 2004][MRT-7 project gets clearance from Transportation Department, BusinessWorld, September 28, 2005] This extension is pending approval before NEDA.
MRT-8, or the East Rail Line, is a proposed 48-kilometer line crossing through Metro Manila and the provinces of
Laguna and Rizal. Several tunnel sections between the municipalities of
Pililla in Rizal and
Santa Cruz in Laguna would be built in the process. Phase I of the line would begin in
Santa Mesa in
Manila and end in
Angono in Rizal, and would consist of 16.8 kilometers of elevated track, following the general alignment of Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue.
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Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)
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Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)
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List of rapid transit systems*
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Rizal Day bombings*
Strong Republic Transit System (SRTS)
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Transportation in the Philippines*
Light Rail Transit Authority*
Urbanrail.net - Manila LRT*
Yehey! LRT Guide (LRT-1 only)
