THE operator of the oldest light-rail transit (LRT) system in the country announced on Monday it is ready to break ground for the extension of the railway line to Cavite, thanks to the government’s “strong political will” to grant the company a permit to start the preconstruction phase of the facility.
Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) President Rogelio L. Singson said his company has slated the groundbreaking for the 11.7 kilometer of the LRT Line 1 toward the end of the first quarter of 2017.
“Our next commitment is to extend LRT 1 to Cavite. We are ready to hold the groundbreaking for the extension in late February or early March,” he said in a press briefing on Monday.
This developed after the company received a “permit to enter” from the LRT Administration, a document that allows the company to start fencing works, and conduct the detailed engineering requirement for the facility.
Targeted for completion in about four years after the delivery of the right-of-way, 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.
It will consist of elevated guideways throughout the majority of the alignment, except for the guideway section at Zapote, which will be located at grade.
Eight new stations will be provided with three intermodal facilities across Pasay City, Parañaque City, Las Piñas City and Cavite. The newstations are Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niyog. The intermodal facilities, shall be located at Dr. Santos, Zapote and Niyog.
The new stations will be accessible to and from nearby community facilities, such as shops, schools, stadium and park, and will be located to suit passenger-flow routes from residential areas.
Pedestrian access to all new stations will be direct, safe and easy. Details, such as lighting to distinguish access points, pedestrian-cross striping and curb cuts for handicapped access, will be provided.
Also during the event, the company inaugurated its first rehabilitated station, the Doroteo Jose Station in Manila. Doroteo Jose is the interconnecting station of LRT 1 and LRT 2, and serves an average of 27,000 passengers daily.
It is the first phase of the railway operator’s P500-million station improvement program, slated to be completed by end-2017.
“Doroteo Jose is just the beginning,” Singson said. “We are now working on the rest of the project’s phases and with the support of our commercial partners, we are hoping to see more enhancements at the other stations by the end of this year.”
The next phase of the project covers United Nations, Gil Puyat, Abad Santos, Pedro Gil and R. Papa, which will be accomplished in June.
By end 2017, LRMC will deliver a wholly refurbished train line, featuring stations that have been renovated and equipped with structural upgrades and new facilities to enhance passenger experience.
Singson said the station-improvement project is only the first component of LRMC’s two-way approach in delivering the optimum transport experience to the public. In congruence with the station upgrades, the company is also implementing engineering and operation improvements.
Aside from this, the train operator was also able to deploy as much as 100 light-rail vehicles or up to 30 trains per day. This is coming from only 77 back in September 2015, when the company assumed operation and maintenance of the train line, marking a 29.87-percent increase.
06 February 2017
By Lorenz S. Marasigan
