The Cavite extension of the Light Railway Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) will finally open in November 2024, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said on Thursday, November 7.
The Cavite extension has long been plagued by delays due to right-of-way issues but the first phase of the project has been completed.
“We are here to announce the partial opening of the Lightweight Railway Transit Line 1 extension. This is the Cavite extension and we will open this line within the next two to three weeks, this is within November,” Bautista said in a press briefing.
Bautista said that he could not give an exact date yet.
There will be five stations from Baclaran to Sucat, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr)
Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) president Enrico Benipayo said the new stations will span six kilometers, adding to the existing 20 kilometers of the LRT-1. Travel time from both ends of the LRT will be less than an hour.
Benipayo said the fare per kilometer stays the same. With the added stations, there will be a responding increment to the fare in terms of distance. The full stretch of LRT-1 will now cost around P45 from end to end.
There will also be 30 additional coaches, with 19 set to begin operations this November. The remaining coaches are still undergoing testing, Benipayo said.
The DOTr chief also said he is hoping that the opening of the extension lessens traffic, saving more time and money.
“The operations of LRT-1 extension there will be part of Parañaque and Pasay that will benefit, there will be some reduction in traffic,” Bautista said.
The estimated reduced travel time is at least 30 minutes, according to the DOTr secretary.
The LRMC said the average ridership for the LRT-1 is 323,000 passengers daily. The extension will allow the LRT-1 to accommodate 80,000 more people. (Jean Mangaluz)