LRT-1 completes 1st test run of Cavite Extension Phase 1

MANILA – The Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) has completed the first test run on the tracks of Cavite Extension Phase 1.

In a news release Wednesday, the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) said the train test run is part of the preparations to ensure that the first phase of the extension project is completed by the last quarter of 2024.

"The first test run aimed to provide a compatibility check and assess the interface between vital infrastructure components such as train pantograph and the overhead catenary system train wheels and rail tracks train and platforms including other viaduct trackside structures," the LRMC said.

The start of a series of test runs featured a second generation train set and a running speed of up to 4.5 kilometers per hour only as part of safety precaution.

The Gen-2 train set is the widest in terms of car body, making it the most strategic option to check for initial compatibility with station platforms, walkways and cableways, according to the LRMC.

“It was a proud moment for us to see our train running along the extension line of LRT-1 from Redemptorist Station to Dr. Santos Station. As we near the completion of this much-awaited railway project, the general public will begin to see more trains undergoing test runs and trial runs,” LRMC president and chief executive officer Juan Alfonso said.

More train tests are planned to include the other train generations of LRT-1 traveling at various speeds and load capacities.

Along with the train test runs, the five new stations under the 6.7-kilometer phase 1 project are in various stages of development.

The LRT-1 Cavite Extension project has registered a 95 percent progress rate as of the end of October this year for the civil and system works. (PNA)