Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) is hoping passengers will be able to take the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) all the way to Bacoor in four years’ time as it targets to complete the Cavite extension project during the current administration.
LRMC president and CEO Juan Alfonso, in an interview with reporters last week, said they were hoping to meet the government’s target of opening the Cavite line, which will be linked from LRT 1’s Baclaran station, by 2027.
“That is what we are targeting. With a lot of work with the department, we do it with the best effort,” he said.
Construction of the three-segment extension has already started. The first phase —Redemptorist, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino and Dr. Santos stations—is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of next year.
However, right-of-way issues remain a major concern as none of the properties for the other two segments have been turned over to LRMC, according to Alfonso. “Our agreement [with the government] is when they turn it over to us, it is free and clear,” he said.
The second phase consists of the Las Piñas and Zapote stations while the third and last phase is the Niog station.
The 11.8-kilometer extension project covers major cities such as Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. It will carry 800,000 passengers daily. INQ