Private operator of LRT-1 Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), has announced that the first of its Generation-4 (Gen-4) train sets arrived in the Philippines last 18 January 2021. It was formally launched to the public on 26 January 2021 at the Manila Harbor Center in an unveiling ceremony attended by distinguished guests from both the private and public sectors.
The state-of-the-art passenger train sets measure 106 meters in length and 2.59 meters in width, with maximum design speeds of up to 70 kph. The new train set is PWD-friendly with special areas for wheelchairs.
The planning and design of the 4th Generation Light Rail Vehicles for LRT-1 began in 2018. Spanish railway vehicle company, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) started the production of 30 train sets in Spain and Mexico in 2019 through a tender spearheaded by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
In his keynote message, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said “This project is starting to bear fruit and be a reality that all of us can be truly, truly proud of. The Duterte administration is making sure that the promises made 19 years ago will materialize, will certainly materialize, and will truly materialize.”
“Today, that is what we are gathering for – telling the people ito na yung tren, ito na yung proyekto. We will continue to make our commitment stronger than ever before that we are all mandated to make the Filipino life comfortable,” DOTr Secretary Tugade shared.
The trainsets will arrive in batches, with at least 1 train set arriving every month until May 2022. The trains will each have to undergo safety checks, inspections, and required test runs with minimum kilometers and acceptance tests before being deployed for revenue operations.
LRMC President and CEO Juan Alfonso shared the project brief and updates on the ongoing LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project in the same unveiling ceremony. We have cast 28% of the pi-girders and launched 10.34% of the pi-girders.
The 11.7-kilometer LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project is expected to service and benefit 800,000 passengers daily by cutting down the travel time between Baclaran and Bacoor from 1 hour and 10 minutes to just about 25 minutes.
For more updates and info on the LRT-1, follow LRMC on Facebook at facebook.com/officialLRT1, Twitter at @officialLRT1. Stay safe by going cashless on the LRT-1 with beep cards, and download the ikotMNL mobile app for free on Google Play and App Store to plan your trips.
