Light Rail Manila Corp. said Monday it raised the train speed at LRT Line 1 after securing a safety certification from a reputable international testing facility.
LRMC said LRT-1 would now run at a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour from 40 kph after completing improvement works needed for the 36-year-old railway system.
This will result in a shorter trip time from Baclaran to Balintawak (vice-versa) and increase the daily number of trips made by LRT-1 trains. The reduced travel time will allow passengers to reach their destinations sooner.
The LRT-1 system is designed for a maximum service speed of 60 kph, but the speed was reduced to 40 kph in 2011 because of the deteriorating condition of its tracks and uncertainties in the railway subsystems such as rolling stock (railway vehicles), power distribution and signaling system.
LRMC took over the operations and management in 2015 and invested P11.6 billion for the rehabilitation, restoration and upgrade of the system.
Recognizing the importance of maximizing LRT-1’s operational capacity, LRMC embarked on a project to increase the service speed by tapping an international partner to assess, perform verificatory tests and identify the corrective works needed to be in agreement with European standards.
“Despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic, we continue to improve the LRT-1 in order to provide our passengers a safer, more comfortable, and reliable commute especially in this new normal,” said LRMC chief operating officer Enrico Benipayo.
“All these upgrading works also serve to complement the team’s preparations for the commercial service of our new Gen-4 trains in the latter part of the year to further bring comfort to Filipino commuters,” he said.
LRT-1 resumed operations on Monday after the Holy Week shutdown from March 31 to April 4, 2021 for the line’s annual preventive and maintenance works.
LRT-1 will follow a new service schedule starting April 5 for northbound train (4:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m.) and southbound train (4:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.).
The shortened operating hours will allow LRMC to perform further safety and integration tests for Generation-4 train sets.