LTR-1 to get new rails

The 29-kilometer stretch of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) from Baclaran to 5th Avenue are getting new rails starting April, private concessionaire Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) said over the weekend.

The new rails for the mass transport system are arriving in April, and the rerailing will be completed in 2017. LRMC claimed the train ride will improve with better train speeds once the rehabilitation is completed.

"The rerailing will cover the systematic replacements of rails and other rail components to keep the LRT-1 line functioning at optimum quality and enable train speed to be increased from 40 kph (kilometers per hour) to 60 kph," LRMC Engineering Director Rudy Chansuyco said.

"Our target is to be done by the end of 2017 with new, modern tracks that will allow for smoother rides for our passengers," Chansuyco said.

Once the new rails are in place, LRMC noted the wear and tear of the rolling stock will

"The project will also benefit communities in close proximity to the stations, as the new set of tracks will significantly reduce the noise of vibration and noise levels currently experienced," the concessionaire said.

LRMC is a joint venture among Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd.

New light rail vehicles (LRVs) are arriving in 2017, the company said.

"Furthermore, LRMC is set to construct the 11.7-kilometer extension from the present end-point at Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite," the company said. The extension project includes eight new stations.

The company took over the operation and management of the LRT-1 in September 2015. – Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VS, GMA News