TWO major railway projects, the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1) extension to Cavite and the Metro Rail Transit line 7 (MRT-7), are on track to begin partial operation by the end of 2021 despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
In a video forum on the “Road Transport, Infrastructure, and the Future of the Philippine Railway System,” Timothy John Batan, DOTr undersecretary for railways, said the light rail vehicles (LRV) for both projects are expected to be delivered this year, in preparation for partial operations by next year.
The 120 LRVs for the LRT-1 extension project are manufactured in Spain and Mexico. The first delivery is expected by third quarter this year, Batan said.
Recently, Light Rail Manila Corp. resumed the construction works on the 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension project, to carry on with select repair and infrastructure works while the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is still in place.
The LRT-1 extension project has eight stations including Redemptorist, MIA, Asiaworld, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Niog and Bacoor. Five stations are expected to start partial operations by next year.
For San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) rail project, Batan said the MRT-7 construction works are ongoing and 55 percent complete as of last month. All the 108 LRVs are ready for delivery even before the ECQ.
“We expect this (MRT-7) to be partially operational towards end of 2021 for the first few stations of the system,” Batan said. SMC aims to begin operations with nine stations initially.
MRT-7, composed of 14 stations, aims to cut travel time from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan down to 35 minutes. Seen to ease traffic in Quezon City, it is expected to serve 850,000 commuters once operational.
Meanwhile, the four railway systems in Metro Manila — LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and Philippine National Railways (PNR) — are allowed to resume operations at reduced capacity once Metro Manila is placed under a general community quarantine.
LRT-1 will implement 12 percent capacity per train set, wherein 135 passengers will board the first generation trains (42 standing, 93 sitting); 152 for the second generation trains (40 standing, 112 sitting); and 188 passengers for the third generation trains (48 standing, 140 sitting).
For LRT-2, each train set can only carry 10 percent of its passenger capacity, translating to a total of 160 passengers (48 standing, 112 sitting).
MRT-3 can ferry 13 percent of its passenger capacity per train set, translating to 153 passengers (63 standing, 90 sitting).
On the other hand, PNR will transport 20 percent of its passenger capacity per train set, with its diesel multiple units Rotem trains carrying 156 passengers (84 standing, 72 sitting); the 8000 series will have 143 passengers (73 standing, 70 sitting); and 198 passengers for its new trains, the 8100 Series (102 standing, 96 sitting).
The DOTr said limiting the number of passengers per train car is based on a physical simulation of passengers inside the trains while maintaining the one-meter social distancing rule. Aside from trains, passenger concentration will also be reduced at station platforms, concourses and station elevators.
