Manila Light Rail Transit System
Encyclopedia
The Manila Light Rail Transit System, popularly known as the LRT, is a metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila
area in the Philippines
. Although referred to as a light rail
system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it has many characteristics of a rapid transit
(metro) system, such as high passenger throughput and exclusive right-of-way. The LRT is operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority
(LRTA), a government-owned and controlled corporation under the authority of the Department of Transportation and Communications
(DOTC). Along with the Manila Metro Rail Transit System
(MRT-3, also called the Blue Line), and the Philippine National Railways
(PNR), the LRT is part of Metro Manila's rail transportation infrastructure known as the Strong Republic Transit System
(SRTS).
Quick and inexpensive to ride, the LRT serves 579,000 passengers each day. Its along over 31 kilometers (19 mi) of mostly elevated track form two lines. LRT Line 1, also called the Yellow Line
, opened in 1984 and travels a north–south route. LRT Line 2, the Purple Line
, was completed in 2004 and runs east–west. The original LRT Line 1 was built as a no-frills means of public transport and lacks some features and comforts, but the new LRT Line 2 has been built with additional standards and criteria in mind like barrier-free access. Security guards at each station conduct inspections and provide assistance. A reusable plastic magnetic ticketing system has replaced the previous token-based system, and the Flash Pass introduced as a step towards a more integrated transportation system.
Many passengers who ride the LRT also take various forms of road-based public transport, such as bus
es, to and from a LRT station to reach their intended destination. Although it aims to reduce traffic congestion
and travel times in the metropolis, the transportation system has only been partially successful due to the rising number of motor vehicles and rapid urbanization
. The network's expansion is set on tackling this problem.
The LRT network consists of two lines: the original LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) or Yellow Line, and the more modern LRT Line 2 (LRT-2 or MRT-2), or Purple Line. The Yellow Line is aligned in a general north–south direction along over 17.2 kilometers (10.7 mi) of fully elevated track. From Monumento
it runs south above the hustle and bustle of Rizal and Taft Avenues along grade-separated
concrete viaducts allowing exclusive right-of-way before ending in Baclaran
. A four-station east–west extension along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
that will connect Monumento to the North Avenue MRT Station
is currently under construction. Including the extension's two recently-opened stations, Balintawak
and Roosevelt
, the Yellow Line has twenty stations. The Purple Line consists of eleven stations in a general east–west direction over 13.8 kilometers (8.57 mi) of mostly elevated track, with one station lying underground. Commencing in Recto
, the line follows a corridor defined by C.M. Recto and Legarda Avenues, Ramon Magsaysay and Aurora Boulevards, and the Marikina-Infanta Highway before reaching the other end of the line at Santolan
. The LRT passes through the cities of Caloocan
, Manila
, Marikina
, Pasay
, Pasig
, Quezon City
, and San Juan.
Everyday around 409,000 passengers board the Yellow Line, and 170,000 ride the Purple Line. During peak hours, the Yellow Line fields 24 trains; the time interval between the departure of one and the arrival of another, called headway
, is a minimum of 3 minutes. The Purple Line runs 12 trains with a minimum headway of 5 minutes. With the proper upgrades, the Yellow Line is designed to potentially run with headway as low as 1.5 minutes. The Purple Line can run with headway as low as 2 minutes with throughput of up to 60,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd).
In conjunction with the MRT
—also known as the Blue Line, a similar but separate metro rail system operated by the private Metro Rail Transit Corporation
(MRTC)—the LRT provides the platform for the vast majority of rail travel in the Metro Manila area. Together with the PNR, the three constitute the SRTS. Recto and Doroteo Jose
serve as the sole interchange between both lines of the LRT. Araneta Center-Cubao
and EDSA
stations serve as interchanges between the LRT network and the MRT. To transfer lines, passengers will need to exit from the station they are in then pass through covered walkways connecting the stations. Blumentritt LRT Station
meanwhile is immediately above its PNR counterpart
.
Baclaran, Central Terminal
, and Monumento are the Yellow Line's three terminal stations; Recto, Araneta Center-Cubao, and Santolan are the terminal stations on the Purple Line. All of them are located on or near major transport routes where passengers can take other forms of transportation such as privately run buses and jeepney
s to reach their ultimate destination both within Metro Manila and in neighboring provinces. The system has two depots: the Yellow Line uses the Pasay Depot at LRTA headquarters in Pasay City, near Baclaran station, while the Purple Line uses the Santolan Depot built by Sumitomo
in Pasig City.
The LRT is open every day of the year from 5:00 am PST
(UTC
+8) until 10:00 pm on weekdays, and from 5:00 am until 9:30 pm on weekends, except when changes have been announced. Notice of special schedules is given through press releases, via the public address system in every station, and on the LRTA website.
|}
(which is underground), the LRT's 31 stations are elevated. They follow one of two different layouts. Most Yellow Line stations are composed of only one level, accessible from the street below by stairway, containing the station's concourse and platform areas separated by fare gates. The boarding platforms measure 100 meters (328 ft 1 in) long and 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in) wide. Baclaran
, Central Terminal
, Carriedo
, Balintawak
, Roosevelt
and North Avenue
stations on the Yellow Line, and all Purple Line stations are composed of two levels: a lower concourse level and an upper platform level (reversed in the case of Katipunan). Fare gates separate the concourse level from the stairs and escalators that provide access to the platform level. All LRT stations have side platform
s except for Baclaran, which has one side and one island platform
, and Santolan, which has an island platform.
The concourse area at LRT stations typically contain a passenger assistance office (PAO), ticket purchasing areas (ticket counters and/or ticket machines), and at least one stall that sells food and drinks. Terminal stations also have a public relations office. Stores and ATM
s are usually found at street level outside the station, although there are instances where they can be found within the concourse. Some stations, such as Monumento, Libertad
and Araneta Center-Cubao
, are directly connected to shopping mall
s. Purple Line stations have two restrooms, but Yellow Line restrooms have been the subject of criticism not only because of the provisioning of a single washroom at each station expected to serve all passengers (whether male, female, disabled or otherwise), but also because of the impression that the lavatories are poorly maintained and unsanitary.
Originally, the Yellow Line was not built with accessibility in mind. This is reflected in the Yellow Line's lack of barrier-free facilities such as escalators and elevators. It is also inconvenient in other ways: for one, because of the use of side platforms, passengers wishing to access the other platform for the train bound in the opposite direction at single-level Yellow Line stations need to exit the station (and by extension, the system) and pay a new fare. The newer Purple Line, unlike its counterpart, is designed to be barrier-free and allows seamless transfer between platforms. Built by a joint venture between Hanjin
and Itochu
, LRT Line 2 stations have wheelchair ramps, braille
markings, and pathfinding embossed flooring leading to and from the boarding platforms in addition to escalators and elevators.
In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer
, copies of the Inquirer Libre
—a free, tabloid-size, Tagalog
version of the Inquirer broadsheet
—are available at selected LRT stations from 6:00 am until the supply runs out.
run on the LRT, with three types used on the Yellow Line and another used on the Purple Line. The Yellow Line railway cars were made either in Belgium by ACEC
, South Korea by Hyundai Precision and Adtranz
(ACEC and Adtranz are now part of Bombardier Transportation
while Hyundai Precision's Railway, Defense, and Plant Division was separated and renamed and is now Hyundai Rotem), or Japan by Kinki Sharyo
and Nippon Sharyo
. The Purple Line, unlike the Yellow Line, runs heavy rail metro cars made in South Korea by Hyundai Rotem and provided by the Asia-Europe MRT Consortium led by Marubeni Corporation that have higher passenger capacity and maximum speed. All four types of rolling stock are powered by electricity supplied through overhead wires.
Of the two LRT systems, Line 2 has been using wrap advertising in its rolling stock. Line 1 uses wrap advertising as well exclusively for their 2nd-Generation trains. LRT-1 ticket turnstiles have wrap ads as well.
The Yellow Line fleet is being modernized to cope with increasing numbers of passengers. In the initial phase of its capacity expansion program completed in 1999, the line's seven four-car second-generation trains were commissioned providing an increased train capacity of 1,350 passengers while the original two-car trains capable of holding 748 passengers were transformed into three-car trains with room for 1,122.
The acquisition marked the introduction of the first air-conditioned trains to the line. Earlier Yellow Line rolling stock was notorious for its lack of air conditioning, relying instead on forced-air roof ventilation for cooling. Unfortunately, this resulted in hot and stuffy rides. The problem was addressed more fully after a preparatory rehabilitation program completed in 2001 allowed the installation of air conditioners to the older rolling stock. By June 2004, all Yellow Line trains had air conditioning.
As part of the second phase of expansion on the Yellow Line, 12 new trains made in Japan by Kinki Sharyo and provided by the Manila Tren Consortium were shipped in the third quarter of 2006 and went into service in the first quarter of 2007. The new air-conditioned trains have boosted the capacity of the line from 27,000 to 40,000 passengers per hour per direction.
from the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Santolan, low-noise control, enabled electric and regenerative braking, and closed-circuit television inside the trains. Special open spaces and seats are designated for wheelchair users and elderly passengers, and automatic next station announcements are made for the convenience of passengers, especially for the blind.
paper prepared by Halcrow
deemed the running of metro rail transit operations overall as "good". Safety notices in both English and Tagalog
are a common sight at LRT stations and inside LRT trains. Security guards with megaphones can be seen at boarding areas asking crowds to move back from the warning tiles at the edge of platforms to avoid falling onto the tracks. In the event of emergencies or unexpected events aboard the LRT, alerts are used to inform passengers about the current state of LRT operations. The LRTA uses three alerts: Codes Blue, Yellow, and Red.
Smoking, previously banned only at station platforms and inside trains, has been banned at station concourse areas since June 24, 2008. Hazardous chemicals, such as paint and gasoline, as well as sharp pointed objects that could be used as weapons, are forbidden. Full-sized bicycle
s and skateboard
s are also not allowed on board the LRT, although the ban on folding bicycle
s was lifted on November 8, 2009. Those under the influence of alcohol may be denied entry into the stations.
In response to the Rizal Day bombings
, a series of attacks on December 30, 2000 that included the bombing of a LRT train among other targets, and in the wake of greater awareness of terrorism following the September 11 attacks, security has been stepped up onboard the LRT. The Philippine National Police
has a special LRT police force, and security police
provided by private companies are assigned to all LRT stations with each having a designated head guard. Closed-circuit television
s have been installed to monitor stations and keep track of suspicious activities. To better prepare for and improve response to any adverse incidents, drills simulating terror attacks and earthquakes have been conducted. It is standard practice for bags to be inspected upon entry into stations by guards equipped with hand-held metal detectors. Those who refuse to submit to such inspection may be denied entry. Since May 1, 2007, the LRTA has enforced a policy against making false bomb threat
s, a policy already enforced at airports nationwide. Those who make such threats can face penalties in violation of Presidential Decree No. 1727, as well as face legal action. Posted notices on station walls and inside trains remind passengers to be careful and be wary of criminals who may take advantage of the crowding aboard LRT trains. To address concerns of inappropriate contact on crowded trains, the first coach of Yellow Line trains have been designated for females only.
, costing significantly less to ride than other systems in the region. Fares are distance-based, ranging from 12 to 20 Philippine peso
s (₱), or about 29 to 47 U.S. cents
(at US$1 = ₱42 as of September 2011), depending on the number of stations traveled to reach the destination. Unlike other transportation systems, in which transfer to another line occurs within a station's paid area, passengers have to exit and then pay a new fare for the line they are entering. This is also the case on the Yellow Line when changing boarding platforms to catch trains going in the opposite direction.
The Yellow Line uses two different fare structures: one for single journey tickets and another for stored value tickets and Flash Passes. Passengers using single journey tickets are charged ₱12, ₱15, or ₱20 depending on the number of stations traveled or whether the newly opened Balintawak or Roosevelt station is part of their trip. Stored value tickets and Flash Passes are charged on a more finely graduated basis with fares ranging from ₱12 to ₱19. The Purple Line, on the other hand, has only one fare structure. Passengers are charged ₱12 for the first three stations, ₱13 for a journey of four to six stations, ₱14 for seven to nine stations and ₱15 for a trip along the entire line.
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Purple Line
Distance (no. of stations)
1–3
4–6
7–9
10
Single journey or stored value
ticket fare (₱)
12
13
14
15
or a Flash Pass. On the Yellow Line, tickets are sold from ticket booths manned by station agents; on the Purple Line they can also be procured from ticket machine
s.
, though some ticket designs have done away with this practice.
Single journey tickets are only valid on the day of purchase and will be unusable afterward. They expire if not used to exit the same station after 30 minutes from entry or if not used to exit the system after 120 minutes from entry. If the ticket expires, the passenger will be required to buy a new one.
Stored value tickets are usable on either the Yellow or Purple Lines although a new fare will be charged when transferring from one line to the other. To reduce ticket queues, the LRTA is promoting the use of stored value tickets. Aside from benefitting from a lower fare structure on the Yellow Line, stored value ticket users can avail of a scheme called the Last Ride Bonus that grants the use of any residual amount in a stored value ticket less than the usual minimum ₱12 fare, or the appropriate fare for the station of arrival from the station of departure, as a full fare. Stored value tickets are not reloadable and are captured by the fare gate after the last use. They expire six months after the date of first use.
Tickets are used both to enter and exit the paid area of the LRT. A ticket inserted into a fare gate at the station of origin is processed and then ejected allowing a passenger through the turnstile
. The ejected ticket is then retrieved while passing through so that it can be used at the exit turnstile at the destination station to leave the premises. Tickets are captured by the exit turnstiles to be reused by the system if they no longer have any value. If it is a stored value ticket with some value remaining, however, it is once again ejected by the fare gate to be taken by the passenger for future use.
s, similar to the Octopus card
in Hong Kong
and the EZ-Link
card in Singapore
, was made a goal of the SRTS. In a transitional move towards such a unified ticketing system, the Flash Pass was implemented on April 19, 2004, as a stopgap measure. However, plans for a unified ticketing system using smart cards have languished, leaving the Flash Pass to fill the role for the foreseeable future. While the Flash Pass is honored by the LRT, the Light Rail Transit Authority no longer sells them. Only the Metro Rail Transit Corporation
, the Blue Line operator, offers them for sale.
The pass consists of two parts: the Flash Pass card and the Flash Pass coupon. A nontransferable Flash Pass card used for validation needs to be acquired before a Flash Pass coupon can be purchased. To obtain a card, a passenger will need to visit a designated station and fill out an application form. Although the card is issued free of charge and contains no expiry date, it is expected to be issued only once. Should it be lost, an affidavit of loss has to be submitted before a replacement can be issued. The Flash Pass coupon, which serves as a ticket, is linked to the passenger's Flash Pass card through the card number printed on the coupon. The coupon costs ₱250 and is valid for unlimited rides on all three lines of the LRT and MRT for one week. The card and coupon are used by showing them to a security guard at an opening along the fare gates, who after checking their validity allows the holder to pass through.
, running to Intramuros
, Malate
, Malacañang Palace
, Sampaloc
and Tondo
. The project was approved and in 1882, Spanish businessman Jacobo Zobel de Zangroniz, Spanish engineer Luciano M. Bremon, and Spanish banker Adolfo Bayo, founded the Compañia de los Tranvias de Filipinas to operate the concession granted by the Spanish colonial government. The Malacañang line was later replaced with a line linking Manila to Malabon
, and construction began in 1885. Four German-made steam-operated locomotives and eight coaches for nine passengers each, composed the initial assets of the company. The Manila-Malabon line was the first line of the new system to be finished, opening to the public on October 20, 1888, with the rest of the network opening in 1889. From the beginning it proved to be a very popular line, with services originating from Tondo as early as 5:30 a.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m., while trips from Malabon were from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., every hour on the hour in the mornings, and every half hour beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon.
With the American takeover of the Philippines, the Philippine Commission
allowed the Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company
(Meralco) to take over the properties of the Compañia de los Tranvias de Filipinas, with the first of twelve mandated electric tranvia
(tram) lines operated by Meralco opening in Manila in 1905. At the end of the first year around 63 kilometers (39 mi) of track had been laid. A five-year reconstruction program was initiated in 1920, and by 1924, 170 cars serviced many parts of the city and its outskirts. Although it was an efficient system for the city's 220,000 inhabitants, by the 1930s the streetcar network had stopped expanding.
The system was closed during World War II. By the war's end, the tram network was damaged beyond repair amid a city that lay in ruins. It was dismantled and jeepney
s became the city's primary form of transportation, plying the routes once served by the tram lines. With the return of buses and cars to the streets, traffic congestion became a problem. In 1966, the Philippine government granted a franchise to Philippine Monorail Transport Systems (PMTS) for the operation of an inner-city monorail
. The monorail's feasibility was still being evaluated when the government asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) to conduct a separate transport study. Prepared between 1971 and 1973, the JICA study proposed a series of circumferential and radial roads, an inner-city rapid transit system, a commuter railway, and an expressway with three branches. After further examination, many recommendations were adopted; however, none of them involved rapid transit and the monorail was never built. PMTS' franchise subsequently expired in 1974.
Another study was performed between 1976 and 1977, this time by Freeman Fox and Associates
and funded by the World Bank
. It originally suggested a street-level railway, but its recommendations were revised by the newly-formed Ministry of Transportation and Communications (now the DOTC
). The ministry instead called for an elevated system because of the city's many intersections. However, the revisions increased the price of the project from ₱1.5 billion to ₱2 billion. A supplementary study was conducted and completed within three months.
President Ferdinand Marcos
created the Light Rail Transit Authority
(LRTA) on July 12, 1980, by virtue of Executive Order No. 603 giving birth to what was then dubbed the "Metrorail". First Lady Imelda Marcos
, then governor of Metro Manila and minister of human settlements, became its first chairman. Although responsible for all operations of the LRT, the LRTA primarily confined itself to setting and regulating fares, planning extensions and determining rules and policies, leaving the day-to-day operations to a sister company of Meralco called the Meralco Transit Organization (METRO Inc.). Initial assistance for the project came in the form of a ₱300 million soft loan
from the Belgian
government, with an additional ₱700 million coming from a consortium of companies comprising SA Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi
(ACEC) and BN Constructions Ferroviaires et Métalliques
(today both part of Bombardier Transportation
), Tractionnel Engineering International (TEI) and Transurb Consult (TC). Although expected to pay for itself from revenues within twenty years of the start of operation, it was initially estimated that the system would lose money until at least 1993. For the first year of operation, despite a projected ₱365 million in gross revenue, losses of ₱216 million were thought likely.
Construction of the Yellow Line started in September 1981 with the Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines (now the Philippine National Construction Corporation
) as the contractor with assistance from Losinger, a Swiss firm, and the Philippine subsidiary of Dravo, an American firm. The government appointed Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zürich to oversee construction and eventually became responsible for the extension studies of future expansion projects. The line was test-run in March 1984, and the first half of the Yellow Line, from Baclaran to Central Terminal, was opened on December 1, 1984. The second half, from Central Terminal to Monumento, was opened on May 12, 1985.
Overcrowding and poor maintenance took its toll a few years after opening. In 1990, the Yellow Line fell so far into disrepair due to premature wear and tear that trains headed to Central Terminal station had to slow to a crawl to avoid further damage to the support beams below as cracks reportedly began to appear. The premature ageing of the Yellow Line led to an extensive refurbishing and structural capacity expansion program.
For the next few years LRT operations ran smoothly. In 2000, however, employees of METRO Inc. went on strike, paralyzing Yellow Line operations from July 25 to August 2, 2000. Consequently, the LRTA did not renew its operating contract with METRO Inc. that expired on July 31, 2000, and assumed all operational responsibility. At around 12:15 pm on December 30, 2000, a bomb—later learned to have been planted by Islamic terrorists—went off in the front coach of a LRT train pulling into Blumentritt station, killing 11 and injuring over 60 people in the most devastating of a series of attacks that day, now known as the Rizal Day bombings
.
Construction of the Purple Line began in the 1990s, and the first section of the line, from Santolan to Araneta Center-Cubao, was opened on April 5, 2003. The second section, from Araneta Center-Cubao to Legarda
, was opened exactly a year later, with the entire line being fully operational by October 29, 2004. During that time the Yellow Line was modernized. Automated fare collection systems using magnetic stripe plastic tickets were installed; air-conditioned trains added; pedestrian walkways between the Yellow, Purple, and Blue
Lines completed. In 2005, the LRTA made a profit of ₱68 million, the first time the agency made a profit since the LRT became operational in 1984.
in 2005.
is currently under construction. In the future it is envisaged that the termini for the Yellow and Blue Lines will also connect with the terminus of the proposed MRT-7 (see below). Construction of the extension began July 2008 with a target completion date the third quarter of 2011.
A southern extension of the Yellow Line, also known as LRT-6, is planned. The envisioned line would have 10 stations over 11.7 kilometers (7.3 mi) ending in Bacoor
in the province of Cavite
. It would be the first line extending outside the Metro Manila area. An unsolicited bid to build and operate this project from Canada's SNC-Lavalin
was rejected by the Philippine government in 2005. The government is working with advisers (International Finance Corporation
, White & Case
, Halcrow, and others) to conduct an open-market invitation to tender for the construction of the extension and a 30-year concession to run it. An additional extension from Bacoor to Imus
and from there a further extension to Dasmariñas City, both in Cavite, are also being considered.
The LRTA is currently conducting studies on the feasibility of a 6.2 kilometres (3.9 mi), four-station Yellow Line spur from Baclaran towards Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
, with a projected daily capacity of 40,000 passengers. Funding for the project could be sourced from either official development assistance or a public-private partnership
.
There is also a proposal for a 4-kilometer (2.5 mi) eastern extension of the Purple Line from Marikina City
, crossing into Cainta
in Rizal
and finally to Masinag Junction in Antipolo City
, also in Rizal. The line could later be extended as far west as Manila North Harbor and as far east as Cogeo in Antipolo. Its initial phase was approved in principle by the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), but the actual proposal is pending before the NEDA secretariat.
and traverses Commonwealth Avenue, passing through Caloocan City
and ending in the city of San Jose del Monte
in Bulacan
. This line finished the bidding stage and has been approved by the Department of Justice
and the Department of Transportation and Communications
. As of August 2010 the MRT-7 project is under review due to various concerns from several local governments where the rail project is proposed to run through, and may undergo major changes from the original.
MRT-8, or the East Rail Line, is a proposed 48-kilometer (30 mi) line crossing through Metro Manila and the provinces of Laguna
and Rizal. Several tunnel sections between the municipalities of Pililla
in Rizal and Santa Cruz
in Laguna would be built in the process. Phase I of the line would begin in Santa Mesa
in Manila
and end in Angono
in Rizal, and would consist of 16.8 kilometers (10.4 mi) of elevated track, following the general alignment of Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue.
(MRTC) to LRTA thus uniting Lines 1, 2,and 3 under one operator to improve maintenance costs and to form a more integrated transportation system. According to DOTC Undersecretary For Rails Glicerio Sicat, the transfer is set by the government in June 2011.
As of January 13, 2011, Light Rail Transit Authority
Chief Rafael S. Rodriguez took over as officer-in-charge of MRT-3 in preparation for the integration of operations of Yellow, Purple, and Blue Lines.
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
area in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Although referred to as a light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it has many characteristics of a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
(metro) system, such as high passenger throughput and exclusive right-of-way. The LRT is operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority
Light Rail Transit Authority
The Light Rail Transit Authority is a public transport operator that is in charge of operating and maintaining the Manila Light Rail Transit System. Founded on July 12, 1980, it is also responsible for monitoring the progress of construction of all LRT lines...
(LRTA), a government-owned and controlled corporation under the authority of the Department of Transportation and Communications
Department of Transportation and Communications (Philippines)
The Department of Transportation and Communications is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation and communications systems as effective instruments for national recovery and economic...
(DOTC). Along with the Manila Metro Rail Transit System
Manila Metro Rail Transit System
The Metro Rail Transit is Metro Manila's third rapid transit line. It forms part of the Strong Republic Transit System, which includes the Manila Light Rail Transit System. The line operates under the name Metrostar Express and is colored blue on rail maps.The line is located along the Epifanio de...
(MRT-3, also called the Blue Line), and the Philippine National Railways
Philippine National Railways
The Philippine National Railways , or PNR, is a state-owned railway company in the Philippines, operating a single line of track on Luzon. As of 2010, it operates one commuter rail service in Metro Manila and a second in the Bicol Region. PNR restored its intercity service to the Bicol region in 2011...
(PNR), the LRT is part of Metro Manila's rail transportation infrastructure known as the Strong Republic Transit System
Strong Republic Transit System
The Strong Republic Transit System was launched to integrate the various rail lines providing public transport in Manila in the Philippines. The program was initiated by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 14, 2003...
(SRTS).
Quick and inexpensive to ride, the LRT serves 579,000 passengers each day. Its along over 31 kilometers (19 mi) of mostly elevated track form two lines. LRT Line 1, also called the Yellow Line
Manila LRT Yellow Line
The Manila LRT Yellow Line is the first metro line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System. Presently, the line contains twenty-two stations and runs over twenty point seven kilometers of fully elevated track...
, opened in 1984 and travels a north–south route. LRT Line 2, the Purple Line
Manila LRT Purple Line
The Manila LRT Purple Line is the second line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System. The line contains eleven stations and runs over 13.8 kilometers of mostly elevated track, with the exception of Katipunan station, which is underground...
, was completed in 2004 and runs east–west. The original LRT Line 1 was built as a no-frills means of public transport and lacks some features and comforts, but the new LRT Line 2 has been built with additional standards and criteria in mind like barrier-free access. Security guards at each station conduct inspections and provide assistance. A reusable plastic magnetic ticketing system has replaced the previous token-based system, and the Flash Pass introduced as a step towards a more integrated transportation system.
Many passengers who ride the LRT also take various forms of road-based public transport, such as bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, to and from a LRT station to reach their intended destination. Although it aims to reduce traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
and travel times in the metropolis, the transportation system has only been partially successful due to the rising number of motor vehicles and rapid urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
. The network's expansion is set on tackling this problem.
Network
The LRT network consists of two lines: the original LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) or Yellow Line, and the more modern LRT Line 2 (LRT-2 or MRT-2), or Purple Line. The Yellow Line is aligned in a general north–south direction along over 17.2 kilometers (10.7 mi) of fully elevated track. From Monumento
Monumento LRT Station
Monumento LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Monumento station is above-ground. The station serves the southern portion of Caloocan City, and is named after the most famous landmark of Caloocan, the Monumento Circle, which houses the Bonifacio...
it runs south above the hustle and bustle of Rizal and Taft Avenues along grade-separated
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
concrete viaducts allowing exclusive right-of-way before ending in Baclaran
Baclaran LRT Station
Baclaran LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . The station is located on the last stretches of Taft Avenue, in the Pasay City portion of Baclaran, and, like all other stations on the LRT-1, Baclaran station is above-ground on viaduct...
. A four-station east–west extension along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue , formerly known as Highway 54, is the main circumferential road and highway of Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is an important commuting artery between the northern and southern parts of the metropolitan area...
that will connect Monumento to the North Avenue MRT Station
North Avenue MRT Station
North Avenue MRT-3 Station, also called North for short, is a station on the Manila MRT Blue Line . North Avenue is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line...
is currently under construction. Including the extension's two recently-opened stations, Balintawak
Balintawak LRT Station
Balintawak LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line, and has been constructed during the Line 1 North Extension Project. It opened on March 22, 2010...
and Roosevelt
Roosevelt LRT Station
Roosevelt LRT Station, also called Congressional Avenue or Muñoz LRT Station is a station of the Manila LRT Yellow Line and has been constructed during the Line 1 North Extension Project...
, the Yellow Line has twenty stations. The Purple Line consists of eleven stations in a general east–west direction over 13.8 kilometers (8.57 mi) of mostly elevated track, with one station lying underground. Commencing in Recto
Recto LRT Station
Recto LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . Recto station is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line. The station is located in Santa Cruz in Manila. The station is named after C.M. Recto Avenue, where the station sits above it. The avenue in turn is...
, the line follows a corridor defined by C.M. Recto and Legarda Avenues, Ramon Magsaysay and Aurora Boulevards, and the Marikina-Infanta Highway before reaching the other end of the line at Santolan
Santolan LRT Station
Santolan LRT Station, or M. A. Roxas LRT Station, is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . Santolan Station is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line. The station is located on the stretch of the Marcos Highway and is named after the barangay that it is in, Barangay...
. The LRT passes through the cities of Caloocan
Caloocan City
The City of Caloocan is one of the cities and municipalities that comprises the Metro Manila region in the Philippines. It is a major residential area inside Metro Manila...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Marikina
Marikina City
Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence and one of the sixteen cities within the Manila Metropolitan Area. Marikina is part of Eastern Manila District of...
, Pasay
Pasay City
The City of Pasay is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.Pasay City was one of the original four...
, Pasig
Pasig City
The City of Pasig is one of the city municipalities of Metro Manila in the Philippines and was the former capital of the province of Rizal prior to the formation of this grouping of cities designated as the National Capital Region...
, Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, and San Juan.
Everyday around 409,000 passengers board the Yellow Line, and 170,000 ride the Purple Line. During peak hours, the Yellow Line fields 24 trains; the time interval between the departure of one and the arrival of another, called headway
Headway
Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for...
, is a minimum of 3 minutes. The Purple Line runs 12 trains with a minimum headway of 5 minutes. With the proper upgrades, the Yellow Line is designed to potentially run with headway as low as 1.5 minutes. The Purple Line can run with headway as low as 2 minutes with throughput of up to 60,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd).
In conjunction with the MRT
Manila Metro Rail Transit System
The Metro Rail Transit is Metro Manila's third rapid transit line. It forms part of the Strong Republic Transit System, which includes the Manila Light Rail Transit System. The line operates under the name Metrostar Express and is colored blue on rail maps.The line is located along the Epifanio de...
—also known as the Blue Line, a similar but separate metro rail system operated by the private Metro Rail Transit Corporation
Metro Rail Transit Corporation
The Metro Rail Transit Corporation is a private consortium responsible for the maintenance of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System. It is also the original contractor for the MRT project...
(MRTC)—the LRT provides the platform for the vast majority of rail travel in the Metro Manila area. Together with the PNR, the three constitute the SRTS. Recto and Doroteo Jose
Doroteo Jose LRT Station
Doroteo Jose LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Doroteo Jose station station is above-ground. The station is located in Santa Cruz in Manila, on Rizal Avenue and slightly past Doroteo Jose Street...
serve as the sole interchange between both lines of the LRT. Araneta Center-Cubao
Araneta Center-Cubao LRT Station
Araneta Center-Cubao LRT Station, usually called Cubao LRT Station, is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . The station is located in Cubao in Quezon City and is named because of its location in the district of the same name and its location near the famed Araneta Center, one of the...
and EDSA
EDSA LRT Station
EDSA LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, EDSA station is above-ground. The station is located on the intersection of Taft Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, or EDSA, one of Metro Manila's main thoroughfares...
stations serve as interchanges between the LRT network and the MRT. To transfer lines, passengers will need to exit from the station they are in then pass through covered walkways connecting the stations. Blumentritt LRT Station
Blumentritt LRT Station
Blumentritt LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Blumentritt station is above-ground. The station serves Sampaloc in Manila. The station itself is located near Blumentritt Street, which the station was named after...
meanwhile is immediately above its PNR counterpart
Blumentritt railway station
Blumentritt station is a station on the South Main Line of the Philippine National Railways. Like all PNR stations, it is at grade...
.
Baclaran, Central Terminal
Central Terminal LRT Station
Central Terminal LRT Station, sometimes called Central or Arroceros LRT Station, is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Central Terminal is above-ground. The station is located in Ermita in Manila. The station is so-called because it lies at the center of the...
, and Monumento are the Yellow Line's three terminal stations; Recto, Araneta Center-Cubao, and Santolan are the terminal stations on the Purple Line. All of them are located on or near major transport routes where passengers can take other forms of transportation such as privately run buses and jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...
s to reach their ultimate destination both within Metro Manila and in neighboring provinces. The system has two depots: the Yellow Line uses the Pasay Depot at LRTA headquarters in Pasay City, near Baclaran station, while the Purple Line uses the Santolan Depot built by Sumitomo
Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide trading company , and is a diversified corporation. Sumitomo is headquartered in the Harumi Island Triton Square Office Tower Y in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan...
in Pasig City.
The LRT is open every day of the year from 5:00 am PST
Philippine Standard Time
Philippine Standard Time , also known as Philippine Time , is the official name for the time in the Philippines. The country only has one time zone, the UTC+08:00 time zone. The country used the daylight saving time for a short time...
(UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
+8) until 10:00 pm on weekdays, and from 5:00 am until 9:30 pm on weekends, except when changes have been announced. Notice of special schedules is given through press releases, via the public address system in every station, and on the LRTA website.
|}
Stations
With the exception of KatipunanKatipunan LRT Station
Katipunan LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . It is the only underground station in the entire LRT system. The station is located in Loyola Heights in Quezon City and is named because of its location on Katipunan Avenue, one of Quezon City's main thoroughfares...
(which is underground), the LRT's 31 stations are elevated. They follow one of two different layouts. Most Yellow Line stations are composed of only one level, accessible from the street below by stairway, containing the station's concourse and platform areas separated by fare gates. The boarding platforms measure 100 meters (328 ft 1 in) long and 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in) wide. Baclaran
Baclaran LRT Station
Baclaran LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . The station is located on the last stretches of Taft Avenue, in the Pasay City portion of Baclaran, and, like all other stations on the LRT-1, Baclaran station is above-ground on viaduct...
, Central Terminal
Central Terminal LRT Station
Central Terminal LRT Station, sometimes called Central or Arroceros LRT Station, is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Central Terminal is above-ground. The station is located in Ermita in Manila. The station is so-called because it lies at the center of the...
, Carriedo
Carriedo LRT Station
Carriedo LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Carriedo station is above-ground. The station is located in Santa Cruz in Manila. The station is named after Carriedo Street, which is near the station...
, Balintawak
Balintawak LRT Station
Balintawak LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line, and has been constructed during the Line 1 North Extension Project. It opened on March 22, 2010...
, Roosevelt
Roosevelt LRT Station
Roosevelt LRT Station, also called Congressional Avenue or Muñoz LRT Station is a station of the Manila LRT Yellow Line and has been constructed during the Line 1 North Extension Project...
and North Avenue
North Avenue LRT Station
North Avenue LRT Station, officially named Metro Manila Integrated Rail Terminal or Common Station, is a proposed station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line under the Line 1 North Extension Project. It is also the first trans-modular station in the Philippines that will connect with LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7...
stations on the Yellow Line, and all Purple Line stations are composed of two levels: a lower concourse level and an upper platform level (reversed in the case of Katipunan). Fare gates separate the concourse level from the stairs and escalators that provide access to the platform level. All LRT stations have side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s except for Baclaran, which has one side and one island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
, and Santolan, which has an island platform.
The concourse area at LRT stations typically contain a passenger assistance office (PAO), ticket purchasing areas (ticket counters and/or ticket machines), and at least one stall that sells food and drinks. Terminal stations also have a public relations office. Stores and ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s are usually found at street level outside the station, although there are instances where they can be found within the concourse. Some stations, such as Monumento, Libertad
Libertad LRT Station
Libertad LRT Station is a light-rail-transportation station located in Pasay City, Philippines. It is a stop on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other of Manila's LRT-1 stations, Libertad Station is above-ground. The station is located in Pasay City at the corner of Taft Avenue and Antonio...
and Araneta Center-Cubao
Araneta Center-Cubao LRT Station
Araneta Center-Cubao LRT Station, usually called Cubao LRT Station, is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . The station is located in Cubao in Quezon City and is named because of its location in the district of the same name and its location near the famed Araneta Center, one of the...
, are directly connected to shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s. Purple Line stations have two restrooms, but Yellow Line restrooms have been the subject of criticism not only because of the provisioning of a single washroom at each station expected to serve all passengers (whether male, female, disabled or otherwise), but also because of the impression that the lavatories are poorly maintained and unsanitary.
Originally, the Yellow Line was not built with accessibility in mind. This is reflected in the Yellow Line's lack of barrier-free facilities such as escalators and elevators. It is also inconvenient in other ways: for one, because of the use of side platforms, passengers wishing to access the other platform for the train bound in the opposite direction at single-level Yellow Line stations need to exit the station (and by extension, the system) and pay a new fare. The newer Purple Line, unlike its counterpart, is designed to be barrier-free and allows seamless transfer between platforms. Built by a joint venture between Hanjin
Hanjin
The Hanjin Group is a South Korean conglomerate, or Jaebeol. The group is a holding company that includes a shipping company, Hanjin Shipping , and Korean Air , which was acquired in 1969...
and Itochu
ITOCHU
, until 1992 "C. Itoh" in English, is a Japanese general trading concern based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo. It has a common origin with Marubeni Corporation. Itochu is a Fortune 500 company.-History:...
, LRT Line 2 stations have wheelchair ramps, braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
markings, and pathfinding embossed flooring leading to and from the boarding platforms in addition to escalators and elevators.
In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
, copies of the Inquirer Libre
Inquirer Libre
Inquirer Libre is a free, bilingual tabloid published in the Philippines. It is published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and is considered a trimmed-down version of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that is distributed on public transport...
—a free, tabloid-size, Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
version of the Inquirer broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
—are available at selected LRT stations from 6:00 am until the supply runs out.
Rolling stock
Four types of rolling stockRolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
run on the LRT, with three types used on the Yellow Line and another used on the Purple Line. The Yellow Line railway cars were made either in Belgium by ACEC
SA Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi
SA Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi was a manufacturer of a wide range of electrical products and latterly manufactured the electrical parts for Belgian locomotives and multiple units constructed by BN.-History:...
, South Korea by Hyundai Precision and Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
(ACEC and Adtranz are now part of Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
while Hyundai Precision's Railway, Defense, and Plant Division was separated and renamed and is now Hyundai Rotem), or Japan by Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...
and Nippon Sharyo
Nippon Sharyo
, , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2004. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nagoya Stock Exchange...
. The Purple Line, unlike the Yellow Line, runs heavy rail metro cars made in South Korea by Hyundai Rotem and provided by the Asia-Europe MRT Consortium led by Marubeni Corporation that have higher passenger capacity and maximum speed. All four types of rolling stock are powered by electricity supplied through overhead wires.
Of the two LRT systems, Line 2 has been using wrap advertising in its rolling stock. Line 1 uses wrap advertising as well exclusively for their 2nd-Generation trains. LRT-1 ticket turnstiles have wrap ads as well.
Yellow Line
The Yellow Line at various stages in its history has used a two-car, three-car, and four-car train. The two-car trains are the original first-generation ACEC trains (railway cars numbered from 1000). Most were transformed into three-car trains, although some two-car trains remain in service. The four-car trains are the more modern second-generation Hyundai Precision and Adtranz (numbered from 1100) and third-generation Kinki Sharyo / Nippon Sharyo (1200) trains. There are 139 railway cars grouped into 40 trains serving the line: 63 of these are first-generation cars, 28 second-generation, and 48 third-generation. One train car (1037) was severely damaged in the Rizal Day bombings and was subsequently decommissioned. The maximum speed of these cars is 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph).The Yellow Line fleet is being modernized to cope with increasing numbers of passengers. In the initial phase of its capacity expansion program completed in 1999, the line's seven four-car second-generation trains were commissioned providing an increased train capacity of 1,350 passengers while the original two-car trains capable of holding 748 passengers were transformed into three-car trains with room for 1,122.
The acquisition marked the introduction of the first air-conditioned trains to the line. Earlier Yellow Line rolling stock was notorious for its lack of air conditioning, relying instead on forced-air roof ventilation for cooling. Unfortunately, this resulted in hot and stuffy rides. The problem was addressed more fully after a preparatory rehabilitation program completed in 2001 allowed the installation of air conditioners to the older rolling stock. By June 2004, all Yellow Line trains had air conditioning.
| Rolling stock | First-generation | First-generation (Refurbished) | Second-generation | Third-generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Images |  |
 |
||
| Year | 1984 | refurbished in 2004 | 1999 | 2007 |
| Car type | 8-axle (4 bogie) rigid body | 8-axle (4 bogie) rigid body | 6-axle (3 bogie) rigid body | 6-axle (3 bogie) rigid body |
| Car size | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide; 29.28 m (96.1 ft) long | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide; 29.28 m (96.1 ft) long | 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in) wide; 26–26.5 m (85–87 ft) long | 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in) wide; 26–26.5 m (85–87 ft) long |
| Train length | 59.59 m or 195.5 ft (2-car) | 89.37 m or 293.2 ft (3-car) | 105.7 m or 347 ft (4-car) | 105.7 m or 347 ft (4-car) |
| Articulation | Double | Double | Single | Single |
| Capacity | 748 passengers | 1,122 passengers | 1,350 passengers | 1,350 passengers |
| Doors | Plug-type; 5-doors/side | Plug-type; 5-doors/side | Interior sliding type; 4-doors/side | Interior sliding type; 4-doors/side |
| Traction system | DC induction mono-motor | DC induction mono-motor | AC induction mono-motor | AC induction mono-motor |
| Traction power | 750 V DC OCS; pantograph power connection | 750 V DC OCS; pantograph power connection | 750 V DC OCS; pantograph power connection | 750 V DC OCS; pantograph power connection |
| Carbody shell | BI sheet | BI sheet | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Ventilation | Forced ventilation; 12 units/car | Air-conditioned; roof-mounted duct type; 5 units/car | Air-conditioned; roof-mounted duct type; 2 units/car | Air-conditioned; roof-mounted duct type; 2 units/car |
| Status | Refurbished | In Service | In Sevice | In Service |
- Source: LRTA
As part of the second phase of expansion on the Yellow Line, 12 new trains made in Japan by Kinki Sharyo and provided by the Manila Tren Consortium were shipped in the third quarter of 2006 and went into service in the first quarter of 2007. The new air-conditioned trains have boosted the capacity of the line from 27,000 to 40,000 passengers per hour per direction.
Purple Line
The Purple Line fleet runs eighteen heavy rail four-car trains with lightweight stainless carbodies and 1,500 volt electric motors. They have a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph) and usually take around thirty minutes to journey from one end of the line to the other. Each train measures 3.2 meters (10 ft 6 in) wide and 92.6 meters (303 ft 10 in) long allowing a capacity of 1,628 passengers: 232 seated and 1,396 standing. Twenty sliding doors per side facilitate quick entry and exit. The line's trains also feature air conditioning, driverless automatic train operationAutomatic train operation
Automatic train operation ensures partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.Most systems elect to maintain a driver to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies....
from the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Santolan, low-noise control, enabled electric and regenerative braking, and closed-circuit television inside the trains. Special open spaces and seats are designated for wheelchair users and elderly passengers, and automatic next station announcements are made for the convenience of passengers, especially for the blind.
Safety and security
The LRT has always presented itself as a safe system to travel on, and despite some incidents a World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
paper prepared by Halcrow
Halcrow Group Limited
Halcrow Group Limited is an engineering consultancy company, based in the United Kingdom.Halcrow is one of the UK's leading consultancies, with a pedigree stretching back to 1868. The UK-based consultancy specialises in the provision of planning, design and management services for infrastructure...
deemed the running of metro rail transit operations overall as "good". Safety notices in both English and Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
are a common sight at LRT stations and inside LRT trains. Security guards with megaphones can be seen at boarding areas asking crowds to move back from the warning tiles at the edge of platforms to avoid falling onto the tracks. In the event of emergencies or unexpected events aboard the LRT, alerts are used to inform passengers about the current state of LRT operations. The LRTA uses three alerts: Codes Blue, Yellow, and Red.
| Alert | Indication |
|---|---|
| Code Blue | Increased interval time between train arrivals |
| Code Yellow | Slight delay in the departure and arrival of trains from stations |
| Code Red | Temporary suspension of all LRT services due to technical problems |
Smoking, previously banned only at station platforms and inside trains, has been banned at station concourse areas since June 24, 2008. Hazardous chemicals, such as paint and gasoline, as well as sharp pointed objects that could be used as weapons, are forbidden. Full-sized bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s and skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
s are also not allowed on board the LRT, although the ban on folding bicycle
Folding bicycle
A folding bicycle is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings and workplaces or onto public transportation or more easily stored in compact living quarters or aboard a car, boat or plane...
s was lifted on November 8, 2009. Those under the influence of alcohol may be denied entry into the stations.
In response to the Rizal Day bombings
Rizal Day bombings
The Rizal Day bombings, also referred to as the December 30 bombings, were a series of bombings that occurred around Metro Manila in the Philippines on December 30, 2000. The explosions occurred in close succession within a span of a few hours...
, a series of attacks on December 30, 2000 that included the bombing of a LRT train among other targets, and in the wake of greater awareness of terrorism following the September 11 attacks, security has been stepped up onboard the LRT. The Philippine National Police
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police is the national police force of the Republic of the Philippines. It is both a national and a local police force in that it does provides all law enforcement services throughout the Philippines...
has a special LRT police force, and security police
Security police
In some countries, including the United States, security police are those persons, employed by or for a governmental agency, who provide police and security services to those agencies' properties....
provided by private companies are assigned to all LRT stations with each having a designated head guard. Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
s have been installed to monitor stations and keep track of suspicious activities. To better prepare for and improve response to any adverse incidents, drills simulating terror attacks and earthquakes have been conducted. It is standard practice for bags to be inspected upon entry into stations by guards equipped with hand-held metal detectors. Those who refuse to submit to such inspection may be denied entry. Since May 1, 2007, the LRTA has enforced a policy against making false bomb threat
Bomb threat
A bomb threat is generally defined as a threat, usually verbal or written, to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage, death, or injuries, whether or not such a device actually exists...
s, a policy already enforced at airports nationwide. Those who make such threats can face penalties in violation of Presidential Decree No. 1727, as well as face legal action. Posted notices on station walls and inside trains remind passengers to be careful and be wary of criminals who may take advantage of the crowding aboard LRT trains. To address concerns of inappropriate contact on crowded trains, the first coach of Yellow Line trains have been designated for females only.
Fares
The LRT is one of the least expensive rapid transit systems in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, costing significantly less to ride than other systems in the region. Fares are distance-based, ranging from 12 to 20 Philippine peso
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
s (₱), or about 29 to 47 U.S. cents
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
(at US$1 = ₱42 as of September 2011), depending on the number of stations traveled to reach the destination. Unlike other transportation systems, in which transfer to another line occurs within a station's paid area, passengers have to exit and then pay a new fare for the line they are entering. This is also the case on the Yellow Line when changing boarding platforms to catch trains going in the opposite direction.
The Yellow Line uses two different fare structures: one for single journey tickets and another for stored value tickets and Flash Passes. Passengers using single journey tickets are charged ₱12, ₱15, or ₱20 depending on the number of stations traveled or whether the newly opened Balintawak or Roosevelt station is part of their trip. Stored value tickets and Flash Passes are charged on a more finely graduated basis with fares ranging from ₱12 to ₱19. The Purple Line, on the other hand, has only one fare structure. Passengers are charged ₱12 for the first three stations, ₱13 for a journey of four to six stations, ₱14 for seven to nine stations and ₱15 for a trip along the entire line.
| wikitable" style="margin:0 auto 0 auto; text-align:center; float:center; border:2px solid gray; width:550px;" cellpadding="0"> | |||||||||||
| Yellow Line | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fares excluding those to and from Balintawak or Roosevelt | Fares to and from Balintawak or Roosevelt | ||||||||||
| Distance (no. of stations) | 1–4 | 5–8 | 9–12 | 13–17 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 5–7 | 8–10 | 11–13 | 14–16 | 17–18 |
| Single journey ticket fare (₱) | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Stored value ticket fare (₱) | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
ticket fare (₱)
Ticketing
Before 2001, passengers on the Yellow Line would purchase a token to enter the station. Subsequent upgrades in the fare collection system eventually transitioned the Yellow Line from a token-based system to a ticket-based system, with full conversion to a ticket-based system achieved on September 9, 2001. Passengers can enter the LRT paid areas with either a single journey or stored value magnetic stripe plastic ticketMagnetic stripe card
A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card...
or a Flash Pass. On the Yellow Line, tickets are sold from ticket booths manned by station agents; on the Purple Line they can also be procured from ticket machine
Ticket machine
A ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine , is a vending machine that produces tickets. For instance, ticket machines dispense train tickets at railway stations and tram tickets at some tram stops and in some trams...
s.
Magnetic ticket
Currently the LRT uses two types of tickets: a single journey (one-way) ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination, and a stored value (multiple-use) ticket available for ₱100. Senior citizens and disabled passengers can receive fare discounts as mandated by law. Tickets would normally bear a picture of the incumbent presidentPresident of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
, though some ticket designs have done away with this practice.
Single journey tickets are only valid on the day of purchase and will be unusable afterward. They expire if not used to exit the same station after 30 minutes from entry or if not used to exit the system after 120 minutes from entry. If the ticket expires, the passenger will be required to buy a new one.
Stored value tickets are usable on either the Yellow or Purple Lines although a new fare will be charged when transferring from one line to the other. To reduce ticket queues, the LRTA is promoting the use of stored value tickets. Aside from benefitting from a lower fare structure on the Yellow Line, stored value ticket users can avail of a scheme called the Last Ride Bonus that grants the use of any residual amount in a stored value ticket less than the usual minimum ₱12 fare, or the appropriate fare for the station of arrival from the station of departure, as a full fare. Stored value tickets are not reloadable and are captured by the fare gate after the last use. They expire six months after the date of first use.
Tickets are used both to enter and exit the paid area of the LRT. A ticket inserted into a fare gate at the station of origin is processed and then ejected allowing a passenger through the turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
. The ejected ticket is then retrieved while passing through so that it can be used at the exit turnstile at the destination station to leave the premises. Tickets are captured by the exit turnstiles to be reused by the system if they no longer have any value. If it is a stored value ticket with some value remaining, however, it is once again ejected by the fare gate to be taken by the passenger for future use.
Flash Pass
To better integrate the LRT and MRT networks, a unified ticketing system utilizing contactless smart cardSmart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
s, similar to the Octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and the EZ-Link
EZ-Link
The EZ-Link card is a contactless smart card based on the Sony FeliCa smartcard technology and used for the payment of public transportation fares in Singapore, with limited use in the small payments retail sector...
card in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, was made a goal of the SRTS. In a transitional move towards such a unified ticketing system, the Flash Pass was implemented on April 19, 2004, as a stopgap measure. However, plans for a unified ticketing system using smart cards have languished, leaving the Flash Pass to fill the role for the foreseeable future. While the Flash Pass is honored by the LRT, the Light Rail Transit Authority no longer sells them. Only the Metro Rail Transit Corporation
Metro Rail Transit Corporation
The Metro Rail Transit Corporation is a private consortium responsible for the maintenance of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System. It is also the original contractor for the MRT project...
, the Blue Line operator, offers them for sale.
The pass consists of two parts: the Flash Pass card and the Flash Pass coupon. A nontransferable Flash Pass card used for validation needs to be acquired before a Flash Pass coupon can be purchased. To obtain a card, a passenger will need to visit a designated station and fill out an application form. Although the card is issued free of charge and contains no expiry date, it is expected to be issued only once. Should it be lost, an affidavit of loss has to be submitted before a replacement can be issued. The Flash Pass coupon, which serves as a ticket, is linked to the passenger's Flash Pass card through the card number printed on the coupon. The coupon costs ₱250 and is valid for unlimited rides on all three lines of the LRT and MRT for one week. The card and coupon are used by showing them to a security guard at an opening along the fare gates, who after checking their validity allows the holder to pass through.
History
The LRT's roots date back to 1878, when an official from Spain's Department of Public Works for the Philippines submitted a proposal for a Manila streetcar system. The system proposed was a five-line network emanating from Plaza San Gabriel in BinondoBinondo, Manila
Binondo is an enclave in Manila primarily populated by ethnic Chinese living in the Philippines. Chinatown, Manila is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594. Historically, this was where the Spanish permitted converted sangleys, their indigenous Filipino wives, and their mixed-race...
, running to Intramuros
Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
, Malate
Malate, Manila
Malate is an old district of the city of Manila in Metro Manila, the Philippines. The district is located at the southern end of the city of Manila, bordered by Pasay City to the south, by Manila Bay to the west, by the district of Ermita to the north and by the districts of Paco and San Andres to...
, Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace
The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. Located at 1000 J. P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila, the house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every...
, Sampaloc
Sampaloc, Manila
Sampaloc is a district of Manila which is primarily a residential and educational center. Part of the Malacañang Palace is located in Sampaloc. The University of Santo Tomas, University of the East Manila are part of the University Belt to name a few, the famous Dangwa flower market at Dimasalang...
and Tondo
Tondo, Manila
Tondo is a district of Manila, Philippines. The locale has existed prior to the arrival of the Spanish, referred to as "Tundun" in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. One of the most densely populated areas of land in the world, Tondo is located in the northwest portion of the city and is primarily...
. The project was approved and in 1882, Spanish businessman Jacobo Zobel de Zangroniz, Spanish engineer Luciano M. Bremon, and Spanish banker Adolfo Bayo, founded the Compañia de los Tranvias de Filipinas to operate the concession granted by the Spanish colonial government. The Malacañang line was later replaced with a line linking Manila to Malabon
Malabon City
The City of Malabon is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located just north of Manila, the city has a population of 363,681 as of 2007. It is primarily a residential and industrial town and is one of the most densely populated cities in the metropolis...
, and construction began in 1885. Four German-made steam-operated locomotives and eight coaches for nine passengers each, composed the initial assets of the company. The Manila-Malabon line was the first line of the new system to be finished, opening to the public on October 20, 1888, with the rest of the network opening in 1889. From the beginning it proved to be a very popular line, with services originating from Tondo as early as 5:30 a.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m., while trips from Malabon were from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., every hour on the hour in the mornings, and every half hour beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon.
With the American takeover of the Philippines, the Philippine Commission
Philippine Commission
The Philippine Commission was a body appointed by the President of the United States to exercise legislative and limited executive powers in the Philippines. It was first appointed by President William McKinley in 1901. Beginning in 1907, it acted as the upper house of a bicameral Philippine...
allowed the Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company
Meralco
The Manila Electric Company , also known as MERALCO or Meralco, is the Philippines' largest distributor of electrical power.The word MERALCO, is an acronym for Manila Electric Railroad And Light COmpany, which was the company's original name from 1903 to 1919.MERALCO is the Metro Manila's only...
(Meralco) to take over the properties of the Compañia de los Tranvias de Filipinas, with the first of twelve mandated electric tranvia
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
(tram) lines operated by Meralco opening in Manila in 1905. At the end of the first year around 63 kilometers (39 mi) of track had been laid. A five-year reconstruction program was initiated in 1920, and by 1924, 170 cars serviced many parts of the city and its outskirts. Although it was an efficient system for the city's 220,000 inhabitants, by the 1930s the streetcar network had stopped expanding.
The system was closed during World War II. By the war's end, the tram network was damaged beyond repair amid a city that lay in ruins. It was dismantled and jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...
s became the city's primary form of transportation, plying the routes once served by the tram lines. With the return of buses and cars to the streets, traffic congestion became a problem. In 1966, the Philippine government granted a franchise to Philippine Monorail Transport Systems (PMTS) for the operation of an inner-city monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
. The monorail's feasibility was still being evaluated when the government asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency
Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is an independent governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance for the government of Japan...
(JICA) to conduct a separate transport study. Prepared between 1971 and 1973, the JICA study proposed a series of circumferential and radial roads, an inner-city rapid transit system, a commuter railway, and an expressway with three branches. After further examination, many recommendations were adopted; however, none of them involved rapid transit and the monorail was never built. PMTS' franchise subsequently expired in 1974.
Another study was performed between 1976 and 1977, this time by Freeman Fox and Associates
Hyder Consulting
Hyder Consulting is a multi-national advisory and design consultancy with particular specialisation in the transport, property, utilities and environmental sectors. The firm employs approximately 4,200 people across the UK, Europe, Germany, Middle East, Asia and Australia and has been listed on the...
and funded by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. It originally suggested a street-level railway, but its recommendations were revised by the newly-formed Ministry of Transportation and Communications (now the DOTC
Department of Transportation and Communications (Philippines)
The Department of Transportation and Communications is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation and communications systems as effective instruments for national recovery and economic...
). The ministry instead called for an elevated system because of the city's many intersections. However, the revisions increased the price of the project from ₱1.5 billion to ₱2 billion. A supplementary study was conducted and completed within three months.
President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
created the Light Rail Transit Authority
Light Rail Transit Authority
The Light Rail Transit Authority is a public transport operator that is in charge of operating and maintaining the Manila Light Rail Transit System. Founded on July 12, 1980, it is also responsible for monitoring the progress of construction of all LRT lines...
(LRTA) on July 12, 1980, by virtue of Executive Order No. 603 giving birth to what was then dubbed the "Metrorail". First Lady Imelda Marcos
Imelda Marcos
Imelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...
, then governor of Metro Manila and minister of human settlements, became its first chairman. Although responsible for all operations of the LRT, the LRTA primarily confined itself to setting and regulating fares, planning extensions and determining rules and policies, leaving the day-to-day operations to a sister company of Meralco called the Meralco Transit Organization (METRO Inc.). Initial assistance for the project came in the form of a ₱300 million soft loan
Soft loan
A soft loan is a loan with a below-market rate of interest. This is also known as soft financing. Sometimes soft loans provide other concessions to borrowers, such as long repayment periods or interest holidays. Soft loans are usually provided by governments to projects they think are worthwhile...
from the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
government, with an additional ₱700 million coming from a consortium of companies comprising SA Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi
SA Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi
SA Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi was a manufacturer of a wide range of electrical products and latterly manufactured the electrical parts for Belgian locomotives and multiple units constructed by BN.-History:...
(ACEC) and BN Constructions Ferroviaires et Métalliques
La Brugeoise et Nivelles SA.
La Brugeoise et Nivelles SA , later BN Constructions Ferroviaries et Métalliques was a Belgian manufacturer of railway locomotives and other rolling stock; it was formed by a merger of two companies La Brugeoise et Nicaise et Delcuve and Les Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles.The Bruges factory...
(today both part of Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
), Tractionnel Engineering International (TEI) and Transurb Consult (TC). Although expected to pay for itself from revenues within twenty years of the start of operation, it was initially estimated that the system would lose money until at least 1993. For the first year of operation, despite a projected ₱365 million in gross revenue, losses of ₱216 million were thought likely.
Construction of the Yellow Line started in September 1981 with the Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines (now the Philippine National Construction Corporation
Philippine National Construction Corporation
The Philippine National Construction Corporation or PNCC is a majority government-owned and/or controlled corporation in the Philippines. It is the largest construction company in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia....
) as the contractor with assistance from Losinger, a Swiss firm, and the Philippine subsidiary of Dravo, an American firm. The government appointed Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zürich to oversee construction and eventually became responsible for the extension studies of future expansion projects. The line was test-run in March 1984, and the first half of the Yellow Line, from Baclaran to Central Terminal, was opened on December 1, 1984. The second half, from Central Terminal to Monumento, was opened on May 12, 1985.
For the next few years LRT operations ran smoothly. In 2000, however, employees of METRO Inc. went on strike, paralyzing Yellow Line operations from July 25 to August 2, 2000. Consequently, the LRTA did not renew its operating contract with METRO Inc. that expired on July 31, 2000, and assumed all operational responsibility. At around 12:15 pm on December 30, 2000, a bomb—later learned to have been planted by Islamic terrorists—went off in the front coach of a LRT train pulling into Blumentritt station, killing 11 and injuring over 60 people in the most devastating of a series of attacks that day, now known as the Rizal Day bombings
Rizal Day bombings
The Rizal Day bombings, also referred to as the December 30 bombings, were a series of bombings that occurred around Metro Manila in the Philippines on December 30, 2000. The explosions occurred in close succession within a span of a few hours...
.
Construction of the Purple Line began in the 1990s, and the first section of the line, from Santolan to Araneta Center-Cubao, was opened on April 5, 2003. The second section, from Araneta Center-Cubao to Legarda
Legarda LRT Station
Legarda LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . Legarda station is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line. The station is located in Sampaloc in Manila and is named after Legarda Avenue, where the station sits.The station is the second station for trains...
, was opened exactly a year later, with the entire line being fully operational by October 29, 2004. During that time the Yellow Line was modernized. Automated fare collection systems using magnetic stripe plastic tickets were installed; air-conditioned trains added; pedestrian walkways between the Yellow, Purple, and Blue
Manila Metro Rail Transit System
The Metro Rail Transit is Metro Manila's third rapid transit line. It forms part of the Strong Republic Transit System, which includes the Manila Light Rail Transit System. The line operates under the name Metrostar Express and is colored blue on rail maps.The line is located along the Epifanio de...
Lines completed. In 2005, the LRTA made a profit of ₱68 million, the first time the agency made a profit since the LRT became operational in 1984.
Future expansion
Plans for expanding the LRT network have been formulated throughout its history, and successive administrations have touted the LRT as one of the keys to relieving Metro Manila of its long-standing traffic problems. Expansion of the LRT was one of the main projects mentioned in a ten-point agenda laid out by former President Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoGloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
in 2005.
Extensions
Originally proposed as a Blue Line extension, a 5.71-kilometer (3.55 mi) eastern extension of the Yellow Line traversing EDSA towards North Avenue MRT StationNorth Avenue MRT Station
North Avenue MRT-3 Station, also called North for short, is a station on the Manila MRT Blue Line . North Avenue is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line...
is currently under construction. In the future it is envisaged that the termini for the Yellow and Blue Lines will also connect with the terminus of the proposed MRT-7 (see below). Construction of the extension began July 2008 with a target completion date the third quarter of 2011.
A southern extension of the Yellow Line, also known as LRT-6, is planned. The envisioned line would have 10 stations over 11.7 kilometers (7.3 mi) ending in Bacoor
Bacoor, Cavite
The Municipality of Bacoor is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. It is a lone district congressional district of Cavite...
in the province of Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
. It would be the first line extending outside the Metro Manila area. An unsolicited bid to build and operate this project from Canada's SNC-Lavalin
SNC-Lavalin
SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a large Canadian engineering firm. It is one of the ten largest engineering firms in the world and is based in Montreal, Quebec. It formed in 1991 from the merger of SNC and the failing Lavalin, another Quebec based engineering firm....
was rejected by the Philippine government in 2005. The government is working with advisers (International Finance Corporation
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
, White & Case
White & Case
White & Case was founded in New York in 1901 and has grown into one of the world's leading global law firms. The firm has since expanded, and has practice groups in emerging markets including Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as well as in Europe...
, Halcrow, and others) to conduct an open-market invitation to tender for the construction of the extension and a 30-year concession to run it. An additional extension from Bacoor to Imus
Imus, Cavite
The Municipality of Imus is a first-class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines, and it is the officially designated capital of Cavite...
and from there a further extension to Dasmariñas City, both in Cavite, are also being considered.
The LRTA is currently conducting studies on the feasibility of a 6.2 kilometres (3.9 mi), four-station Yellow Line spur from Baclaran towards Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
, with a projected daily capacity of 40,000 passengers. Funding for the project could be sourced from either official development assistance or a public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
.
There is also a proposal for a 4-kilometer (2.5 mi) eastern extension of the Purple Line from Marikina City
Marikina City
Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence and one of the sixteen cities within the Manila Metropolitan Area. Marikina is part of Eastern Manila District of...
, crossing into Cainta
Cainta, Rizal
The Municipality of Cainta is a first-class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is one of the oldest , and is the town with the second smallest land area of 26.81 km² next to Angono with 26.22 km².Cainta serves as the secondary gateway to the rest of Rizal...
in Rizal
Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON , just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building,...
and finally to Masinag Junction in Antipolo City
Antipolo City
Antipolo is a city in the Philippines located in the province of Rizal; about 25 kilometers east of Manila. It is the largest city in the Calabarzon Region in terms of population...
, also in Rizal. The line could later be extended as far west as Manila North Harbor and as far east as Cogeo in Antipolo. Its initial phase was approved in principle by the National Economic and Development Authority
National Economic and Development Authority (Philippines)
The National Economic and Development Authority , abbreviated as NEDA, is an independent cabinet-level agency of the Philippine government responsible for economic development and planning. It is headed by the President of the Philippines as chairman of the NEDA board, with the Secretary of...
(NEDA), but the actual proposal is pending before the NEDA secretariat.
New lines
MRT-7 is a planned 13-station, 21-kilometer (13 mi) line that starts in Quezon CityQuezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
and traverses Commonwealth Avenue, passing through Caloocan City
Caloocan City
The City of Caloocan is one of the cities and municipalities that comprises the Metro Manila region in the Philippines. It is a major residential area inside Metro Manila...
and ending in the city of San Jose del Monte
San Jose del Monte City
The City of San Jose del Monte is a first class suburban component city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. It is bordered by Caloocan City and Quezon City, both in Metro Manila, in the south; by Rodriguez, Rizal in the east; Santa Maria and Marilao, both of Bulacan, in the west and...
in Bulacan
Bulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...
. This line finished the bidding stage and has been approved by the Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
and the Department of Transportation and Communications
Department of Transportation and Communications (Philippines)
The Department of Transportation and Communications is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation and communications systems as effective instruments for national recovery and economic...
. As of August 2010 the MRT-7 project is under review due to various concerns from several local governments where the rail project is proposed to run through, and may undergo major changes from the original.
MRT-8, or the East Rail Line, is a proposed 48-kilometer (30 mi) line crossing through Metro Manila and the provinces of Laguna
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...
and Rizal. Several tunnel sections between the municipalities of Pililla
Pililla, Rizal
Pililla is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 58,525 inhabitants in 9,001 households. Pililla is known as the GREEN FIELD MUNICIPALITY OF RIZAL.- :...
in Rizal and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, Laguna
Santa Cruz is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is also the capital town of the province of Laguna. According to the latest census, it has a population of 101,914 people in 19,627 households and with a growth rate of 1.37%)...
in Laguna would be built in the process. Phase I of the line would begin in Santa Mesa
Santa Mesa, Manila
Santa Mesa is one of the 16 geographical districts of the city of Manila, which is primarily a residential, commercial and educational center. Santa Mesa is bounded by several districts and cities...
in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and end in Angono
Angono, Rizal
Angono is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines and Angono, Rizal is Known as "Arts Capital of the Philippines". It is located 30 kilometers east of Manila...
in Rizal, and would consist of 16.8 kilometers (10.4 mi) of elevated track, following the general alignment of Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue.
Transfer of line operations
DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco has unveiled a study being conducted by the DOTC looking at the possibility of transferring operations of Line 3 (MRT 3) from Metro Rail Transit CorporationMetro Rail Transit Corporation
The Metro Rail Transit Corporation is a private consortium responsible for the maintenance of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System. It is also the original contractor for the MRT project...
(MRTC) to LRTA thus uniting Lines 1, 2,and 3 under one operator to improve maintenance costs and to form a more integrated transportation system. According to DOTC Undersecretary For Rails Glicerio Sicat, the transfer is set by the government in June 2011.
As of January 13, 2011, Light Rail Transit Authority
Light Rail Transit Authority
The Light Rail Transit Authority is a public transport operator that is in charge of operating and maintaining the Manila Light Rail Transit System. Founded on July 12, 1980, it is also responsible for monitoring the progress of construction of all LRT lines...
Chief Rafael S. Rodriguez took over as officer-in-charge of MRT-3 in preparation for the integration of operations of Yellow, Purple, and Blue Lines.
Further reading
- Allport, R. J. (1986). Appropriate mass transit for developing cities. Transport Reviews: A Transnational Transdisciplinary Journal, 6(4), 365–384. doi:10.1080/01441648608716636
- Midgley, Peter. (1994-03-31). Urban Transport in Asia : An Operational Agenda for the 1990s (World Bank technical paper no. 224). Washington D.C.: World Bank. ISBN 0-8213-2624-4.
- United States Agency for International Development. (June 2005). Integrated Environmental Strategies – Philippines Project Report – Metropolitan Manila. Author. (With United States Environmental Protection Agency, NREL, and the Manila Observatory).
- Uranza, Rogelio. (2002). The Role of Traffic Engineering and Management in Metro Manila. Workshop paper presented in the Regional Workshop: Transport Planning, Demand Management and Air Quality, February 2002, Manila, Philippines. Asian Development Bank (ADB).