Palace to shoulder P6B upgrade of light rail lines

Malacañang will fully fund the rehabilitation of three light rail lines after President Aquino approved the disbursement of P6.37 billion for the upgrade, according to Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad.

Abad said Monday in a statement that the amount would cover the “major rehabilitation” of Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2, as well as the acquisition of new coaches for Metro Rail Transit Line 3.

Of the total, P4.5 billion will be used to purchase 26 additional coaches for the MRT, while P1.87 billion has been set aside to improve the trains, rails and stations of LRT 1 and 2.

“These are part of the P72-billion disbursements acceleration plan for 2011,” Abad said. “For the first time, we are subsidizing the rehabilitation of these railway systems to ensure the efficiency of operations and safety of passengers.”

Abad said past rehabilitation expenses were deducted from the revenues of the 30-year-old LRT 1, the 10-year-old LRT 2 and the 12-year-old MRT-3.

The budget chief said that the refurbishment of LRT 1, which runs from Roosevelt in Quezon City to Baclaran in Pasay City, would amount to P1.33 billion.

This will cover body repair of all 63 first-generation coaches, acquisition of spare parts, and improvement of the line’s 18 stations and basic facilities.

Also, P539.58 million will cover the rehabilitation of LRT 2, which runs from Recto in Manila to Santolan in Pasig City.

The amount will cover the repair or replacement of all air-conditioning units and the purchase of spare parts for some of the 18 coaches.

The electronic train and station monitoring equipment will also be replaced, while the line’s 11 stations and communications system will be improved.

The rehabilitation of MRT-3, which runs from Magallanes in Pasay City to North Avenue in Quezon City, will also involve the enhancement of the MRT signaling system.

“This will increase the designed peak loading capacity of MRT by as much as 60 percent to 37,824 passengers per peak hour per direction, from 23,640—a limit that is often breached causing the deterioration of trains and frequent disruptions,” Abad explained.