Brief Description of LRTA, ongoing projects
Light Rail Transit Authority
The Light Rail Transit Authority is recognized as the premiere rail transit in the country
providing reliable, efficient, dependable, and environment-friendly mass rail services to all
residents of Metro Manila. LRTA is a wholly owned government corporation created on
July 12, 1980 under Executive Order (EO) No. 603, as amended by EO No. 830 dated
September 1982, and EO No. 210 dated July 7, 1987. The LRTA is primarily responsible
for the construction, operation, maintenance and/or lease of light rail transit systems in the
Philippines.
A pioneer of the industry since 1984, LRTA has become the country’s prime mover in the
rail transport sector serving the needs of millions of Filipinos by exploring avenues where
the LRT system could continuously provide efficient transport services while promoting
economy and efficiency of operations.
MANDATE
By virtue of Executive Order No. 603, the Light Rail Transit Authority was created to be
primarily responsible for the construction, operation, maintenance and/or lease of LRT
Systems in the Philippines.
VISION
The recognized leader and expert in providing integrated urban rail transport systems of
the country by 2017.
MISSION
To enhance public mobility and provide vital access to urban centers in the country
through the development, design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance
of world-class and integrated light rail transport systems with continued commitment to
excellence in service while maximizing the opportunities for development and welfare of
our employees as well as the social, economic and environmental benefits for the nation.
CORE VALUES
Resilience
Integrity
Professionalism
Excellence
QUALITY POLICY/ PLEDGE
We, at LRTA, commit to comply with the requirements of the Quality Management System
and continually improve our effectiveness in providing quality urban mass rail transport
and related services in order to achieve our goal of SERBISYONG AYOS!
Brief History
From 1976 to 1977, a fourteen-month study funded by the World Bank was conducted by
Freeman Fox and Associates, and this suggested a street-level light railway. The then
newly created Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) reviewed and
revised the recommendations, introducing an elevated version because of the many
intersections. This raised the cost from P1.5 billion to P2 billion. Another foreign firm was
commissioned by MOTC for supplementary study which was completed within three
months.
On July 12, 1980, the country’s president, Ferdinand E. Marcos, created the Light Rail
Transit Authority (LRTA) as a government agency. The Chairman was the then First Lady
and Governor of Metro Manila, Imelda Romualdez Marcos. This LRTA confined its
activities to determining policies, to the regulation and fixing of fares, and to the planning
of extensions to the system. The project was called Metrorail and was operated by a sister
company of the former tramway company Meralco, called Metro, Inc.
Initial assistance for building the LRT project came from the Belgian government which
granted a P300 million ‘soft” and interest-free loan with a repayment time of 30 years. The
project was expected to pay for itself within a period of 20 years out of revenue alone. A
Belgian consortium consisting of ACEC (Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de
Charleroi, BN), (Constructions Ferroviaires et Metalliques, formerly Brugeoise et
Nivelles), TEI (Tractionnel Engineering International) and TC (Transurb Consult)
provided an additional loan of P700 million. The consortium provided the cars, signaling,
power control, telecommunications, training and technical assistance. The entire system
was expected to be financially “in the red” well into 1993. Against an expected gross
revenue of P365 million for the first operating year, government losses were thought likely
to reach P216 million. The system was designed as a public utility rather than as a profit
center.
Construction of the line started in October 1981, and was the responsibility of CDCP
(Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines); with assistance from the
Swiss firm of Losinger and the American company Dravo, the latter, through its Philippine
subsidiary. The government appointed Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zurich
(Switzerland) to manage and supervise the project. Electrowatt set up offices in Manila and
became responsible for extension studies of the system which eventually comprised 150
km of routes along all major corridors in about 20 years time.
Rolling stock
The LRT Line 1 System – The Yellow Line
The Light Rail Transit System Line No. 1 consists of the 15 km elevated railway system
servicing the Taft Avenue – Rizal Avenue route between Baclaran, Pasay City and the
Bonifacio Monument in the City of Caloocan. It is considered to be the first LRT system in
Southeast Asia.
Construction
Actual construction in Manila started in September 1981 at Taft Avenue between EDSA
and Libertad. By the end of 1983, the construction had risen out of the streets over most of
the route; and the shape of the new transit facility was taking shape for all to see. The first
Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) arrived in Manila in November 1982 and construction of the
Pasay Depot became the most vital task of the whole project.
Power was turned on in the Depot and became operational in December 1983. The LRVs
began trial runs on the Taft Line in March 1984 and by September 1984 the Taft Line gave
the public a view of what was to come by providing free public passenger rides for a one
week period.
After September, there was a strong coordinated effort to finish all the remaining Taft Line
work and finally, on December 1, 1984, the Taft Line was officially opened to public
service.
Work on the Pasig River Bridge started in November 1984 with the super-structure floated
out and put into place. By the end of January 1985, the bridge was completed and track lay
across to join up with the track on the other side.
Previous to this, there had already been a major effort on the Rizal Line side, and with the
Pasig River Bridge complete, speed trials began in February 1985. By April 1985,
passenger service was extended into Carriedo, the downtown station, and one month later,
on May 12, 1985, the Rizal Line was put into service.
Operation
To operate the System, a contract was entered into between the LRTA and a specially
created new company METRO INC. – a wholly owned subsidiary of the Manila Electric
Company. METRO’s task would be to acquire the know-how of the new technology and
develop an efficient, well-trained organization to operate the System and manage its day to
day affairs and be responsible for all technical matters in the future.
The LRTA took over all System operations after the rank-and-file employees of METRO
INC. staged a wildcat strike, destroyed some of LRTA’s propertiesand paralyzed the entire
operation of LRT Line 1 system from July 25 to August 2 of 2000. In view of the adverse
consequences brought about by the said strike on the financial position of LRTA and on the
efficient provision of LRT services to the public, the LRTA decided not to renew the
16-year Operating and Maintenance Agreement with METRO, Inc. which coincidentally
expired on July 31, 2000.
Service Route
Originally, Line 1 has a length of about 13.95 km and runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to
Monumento in Caloocan City. Pasay City lies in the south-west section of Metro Manila,
close to the airport. From there, the line runs in a north-western direction, parallel to the
Bay but at some distance from it along Taft Avenue to the Manila City Hall, where the
central terminal is located, then through Arroceros Street, across the Pasig River, entering
the Santa Cruz district at Feati University. From there, it follows Rizal Avenue and Rizal
Avenue Extension in a northerly direction to Monumento in Caloocan City.
Under the LRT North Extension Project, a further 5.7 km elevated line has been
constructed from Monumento Station of Line 1 to North Avenue of Line 3, with 3
additional stations namely: Balintawak, Roosevelt and a Common Station. The opening of
Balintawak Station and Roosevelt Station on March 22, 2010 and October 22, 2010
respectively, has brought closer to the goal of “closing the loop”, connecting LRT Line 1
from Baclaran to Roosevelt to the Metro Rail Transit that runs along EDSA. With the
nearing completion of the Common Station, seamless connection between the two lines
will soon be realized.
The LRT Line 2 System – The Blue Line
The Megatren, more popularly known by its generic name Line 2, is a 13.8 km mass transit
line that traverses five cities in Metro Manila namely Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, San
Juan and Manila) along the major thoroughfares of Marcos Highway, Aurora Boulevard,
Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, Legarda and Recto Avenue.
Construction
The Megatren system was built at a cost of P31 billion in soft loans mainly from the Japan
Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). This is a very concessional loan, with 2 percent
interest for three packages, and payable for 30 years with a 10-year grace period.
The Asia Europe MRT Consortium, led by the Marubeni Corporation, has delivered 18
new four (4) – car trains. Each train is 92.6 meters long and consists of four motorized cars.
