We bring good news for LRT-1 commuters today: the newest train sets for the rail line have just been unveiled.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and LRT-1 private operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) have just pulled the wraps off the fourth-generation light rail vehicles (LRVs) which are part of the new train sets that will ply the LRT-1 line beginning today.
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Each new train set is comprised of four next-generation LRVs that can carry a minimum of 1,388 passengers. There will be one new train set operational starting this week, with one new set to be rolled out each week until December. There are 30 new sets or 120 LRVs in total.
The new trains are manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation, and these models feature a human-machine interface (HMI) that allows train operators to easily identify any possible operational glitches and troubleshoot them. In its first full year of operations, the new trains are expected to increase the daily ridership of the existing LRT-1 line from 280,000 to 300,000.
The procurement of these new trains is also part of the bigger LRT-1 Cavite Extension project that will extend the railway by 11.7km and add eight new stations all the way to Bacoor City. It is expected to reduce travel time between Cavite and Manila from 1 hour and 10 minutes to just 25 minutes.
