18 January 2017, Manila, PHILIPPINES — Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) today said it is ready for increased demand resulting from the Common Station Project, adding that the latter bodes well for the ongoing improvements to increase capacity and improve commuter experience on Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1).
“The Project will mean LRT-1 will be able to service an additional 45,000 LRT-1 commuters or 10% of the current 450,000 average daily ridership,” LRMC President and CEO Rogelio L. Singson disclosed, adding that the existing rail system has already increased ridership by 19 percent and passenger capacity per hour by 26 percent after implementing strategies to increase the number of operational LRVs, complemented with the increase in number of trips daily.
Since assuming operations and maintenance of the 20-kilometer existing rail system from Roosevelt Station in Quezon City to Baclaran Station in Paranaque City in September 2015, monthly ridership has increased from 11.2 million in August 2015 to 13.6 million in December 2016.
Passenger capacity of LRT-1 also increased from 13,500 to 17,000 per hour per direction (northbound/southbound) over the same period, following the increase of light rail vehicles (LRVs) from 77 in September 2015 to 100 in December 2016.
“More importantly, we have implemented traffic management strategies that resulted in increased number of trips, reduced cycle time, and headways,” Singson emphasized.
Singson said that LRT-1 cycle time, the duration it takes for one train to complete one loop, has improved from an average of 118 minutes to 108 minutes by reducing turn back times at both ends (Roosevelt & Baclaran), deployment of train sliders and increased efficiency of traffic management in between stations.
He added that LRT-1 has also improved efficiencies in passenger queueing and headways of four minutes from five to six minutes.
“The Company has also extended train revenue service to serve early morning passengers who queue by the station gates as early as 4:00 AM and for late night shift workers and students who now feel safer and more secure travelling by LRT-1 rather than by jeepneys,” Singson added.
LRMC signed a Concession Agreement with the Department of Transportation and the Light Rail Transit Authority in October 2014 for the operations and maintenance of the existing LRT-1 system and the construction of an additional 12-kilometer Cavite Extension.