MANILA — The construction of the first phase of the Cavite Extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) is expected to start later this year once issues on its right of way are settled.
This as LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) said that the right of way for the first phase of the railway project is in the process of getting certified by an independent consultant.
“For Package 1 which consists of Redemptorist, MIA, Asiaworld, Ninoy Aquino and Dr. Santos stations a lot of these properties along the right of way I would say that these are 70-80 percent completed,” LRMC President and CEO Juan Alfonso said in a press conference Tuesday.
“We feel that the right of way is complete or is at a stage where we can start. Our target is toward the latter part of this year to build from Dr. Santos towards Redemptorist. It’s not perfected; it’s not 100 percent complete. It’s at a stage where we can start moving together in partnership with the LRTA (Light Rail Transit Authority),” he added.
The LRMC expects that the LRT-1 Cavite Extension will be able to reduce travel time from Baclaran to Bacoor by 30 minutes from the current one and a half hours a day during rush hour on the average.
“From Baclaran to Sucat, it will be only 15 minutes; Baclaran to Zapote, 20 minutes,” Alfonso said.
Furthermore, the project will enable passengers to save around three hours of travel time everyday giving them more time to spend with their families.
“You don’t have to wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. to be in Manila for work because you know the train will be there every three and a half minutes or so and that travel time is very predictable, is traffic-free,” Alfonso said.
The Cavite Extension measuring 11.7 kilometers in length shall consist of elevated guideways throughout the majority of the alignment. The only at-grade guideway section shall be located in Zapote, consisting of the Satellite Depot and New Station.
It shall connect to the existing Baclaran Station and will have eight new stations namely Redemptorist, NAIA Avenue, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Pinas, Zapote, and Niog. Dr. Santos, Zapote, and Niog Stations shall provide transfers to other modes of transportation.
The LRMC projects that LRT-1 will be able to serve around 700,000 to 800,000 passengers daily once the extension is completed by 2021.
LRMC is a consortium put up by Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Ayala Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings and took over the operations and management of LRT-1 in September 2015. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
