By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter
LIGHT RAIL Manila Corp. (LRMC), the private operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), said on Monday that 20 out of the 30 train sets manufactured in Spain and Mexico have arrived in the Philippines.
“Completion of delivery is targeted before 2023 ends,” LRMC Spokesperson Jacqueline S. Gorospe told BusinessWorld in a phone message on Monday.
Spanish railway vehicle company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) recently announced the completion of the 30 train sets, of which 28 were made in Mexico and two in Spain.
LRMC said CAF started the production of the train sets in 2019 following a tender by the Department of Transportation.
The passenger train sets measure 106 meters in length and are 2.59 meters wide, with the maximum design speed at 70 kilometers per hour, according to LRMC.
“Each train set consists of 4 light rail vehicles (LRVs) and can accommodate over 1,300 passengers per trip,” the company said in a statement.
“Inside, the driver station features a modern design, and there is monitor that shows the temperature inside each LRV. The new train set is PWD-friendly with special areas for wheelchairs,” it added.
LRMC is currently constructing the 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension of the LRT-1 line.
The project is expected to benefit 800,000 passengers daily, cutting down the travel time between Baclaran and Bacoor from one hour and 10 minutes to just about 25 minutes.
“Total travel time for the full line from Quezon City to Cavite will take about 70 minutes,” LRMC said.
LRMC is a joint venture of Ayala Corp., Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd.
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