100 operational LRT coaches expected early next year — LRMC

The Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) has announced that there would be more operational coaches or light rail vehicles (LRVs) early next year. 

“We are expecting na in 12 months or 14 months, we will expect the deliveries of the parts that we have ordered so when they come then we will be able to restore additional trains, hoping that we can hit the 100 that we aim for,” LRMC Engineering Director Rudy Chansuyco told reporters in a walkthrough of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Depot in Pasay City.

According to Chansuyco, the LRMC has started to procure parts for the train system upgrade, but these have yet to arrive because of manufacturing and shipment issues.

“Many parts are obsolete so we’re dealing with obsolescence... Manufacturing time takes six months or so, plus shipment. The process takes that long,” he said.

Chansuyco noted, however, that the LRMC has restored some 14 LRVs since it took over the LRT Line 1 in September 2015, with a total of 91 LRVs now operational from the 77 handed over by the government.

“What we did is may mga (spare) parts naman na nadatnan tayo, may mga parts na dumating (from abroad),” Chansuyco said.

The spare parts are sourced from several places abroad including Europe, Korea, and Japan.

“The one we’re doing now is initially restoration with available parts...  Napapalitan na lahat ng mga dapat palitan. We’re looking at the coming 120 LRVs. 'Pag dumating na 'yun, pwede nang pagbigyan natin na mag-retire na 'yung first generation,” Chansuyco said.

The 120 LRVs are set to be delivered in the Philippines and replace the first generation vehicles in the system which have been running since 1984.

The LRMC took over the operations, maintenance, and extension works of the LRT-1 on September 12, 2015.

Under a 32-year agreement, the LRMC will manage the train system and extend the line by 11.7 kilometers (km) to 32.4 km from 20.7 km, which will run from Muñoz in Quezon City to Bacoor in Cavite from the current endpoint in Baclaran.

“The extension will serve future high-growth centers in the south like Cavite,” Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., through its parent company Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), said in an earlier disclosure to the stock exchange. — BAP, GMA News