The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the private operator of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 1, yesterday unveiled the rail system’s first 4th generation (Gen-4) light rail vehicles (LRV) that are set to start commercial operation today at the LRT-1 system and soon in the extension to Cavite.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the LRT-1 Gen-4 train sets Wednesday at the LRT-1 depot in Baclaran, Pasay City.
The new train underwent safety checks and trial runs since these arrived in the Philippines last January 2021 from Spain and Mexico.
“These new LRVs, purchased at more than P12.8 billion, are equipped with an advanced passenger information system, a new signaling system and ice-cold air-conditioning — leading to a vastly enhanced passenger experience,” said DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista.
The upgraded train’s brakes and signaling system will improve operational efficiency by reducing passengers’ waiting time between trains at stations to less than three minutes, a boost to the soon LRT-1 Cavite extension, he added.
Starting July 20, LRT-1 is deploying one Gen-4 train set which will be used for the main line; with one new Gen-4 train set added to the main line every week until December.
There are 20 Gen-4 train sets in the Philippines, and the remaining 10 train sets are expected to arrive from Mexico between November and February 2024. Complete deployment of the 30 train sets on the main line is expected by the fourth quarter of 2024 when the LRT-1 Cavite extension project opens.
Each state-of-the-art Gen-4 train set has a total capacity of 1,388 passengers per trip and four LRVs or coaches per train set.
Measuring 106 meters in length and 2.59 meters in width, the train set has maximum design speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour (kph).
The LRT-1 Cavite extension project, funded by a Japan International Cooperation Agency official development assistance loan, involves the procurement of 120 Gen-4 LRVs, expansion of the existing Baclaran depot in Pasay City and construction of the new Zapote satellite depot.
Manufactured by Mitsubishi Corp., the new rolling stock of 30 train sets at four LRVs per set feature a human-machine interface that allows the train operator to easily troubleshoot and identify possible cause of any operational glitch.
