PARTIAL operation of the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension (L1CE) will start today, allowing passengers to travel from Fernando Poe Jr. Station in Quezon City all the way to Dr. Santos in Parañaque with significantly reduced travel time.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will lead the inauguration ceremony at the Dr. Santos Station.
L1CE is the first railway line partially opened under the current administration.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided a soft loan for part of the major components of L1CE, including the supply of 30 train sets of fourth-generation light rail vehicles, expansion of the Baclaran depot in Pasay, and construction of the new Zapote satellite depot in Cavite.
JICA, in partnership with Japan’s Hankyu Corp. and Sumitomo Corp., made a strategic direct investment in Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), operator of the railway system, to acquire part of its shares this year.
For this Phase 1, a 6.5-kilometer extension line is added to connect the Baclaran Station to five new stations, namely, Redemptorist-Aseana, MIA Road, PITX, Ninoy Aquino Avenue and Dr. Santos.
Phases 2 and 3 of L1CE are expected to further extend the line for about 6 km with additional three stations, two in Las Piñas and one in the City of Bacoor in Cavite. Once complete, L1CE will cater to an estimated 300,000 additional passengers daily, serving a total of 800,000 riderships daily for the entire LRT-1.
