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The newly completed expansion of the Baclaran depot of the LRT Line 1 Cavite extension project was inaugurated on February 23
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The expansion adds 4.2 hectares to the existing 6.4-hectare Baclaran depot, providing space for more rail tracks and more trains
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Depot equipment is expected to be delivered by August this year
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Project funding came from official development assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) inaugurated the newly expanded Baclaran Depot of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension Project on February 23.
The expansion project, which was funded with official development assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), adds 4.2 hectares to the existing 6.4-hectare Baclaran depot, to accommodate more rail tracks and trains.
With the expansion, 21 stabling and maintenance tracks will be added to the existing 45, increasing the depot’s stabling capacity from 130, and enabling it to handle 182 light rail vehicles (LRVs).
The expansion also increases the depot’s heavy and light maintenance capacity from 30 to 48 LRVs.
Depot equipment is expected to be delivered by August this year.
On February 7, the last span of Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension was also completed, marking another milestone for the completion of the project.
The P64.915-billion Cavite extension project will add 11.7 kilometers to the existing LRT Line 1 system. It will have eight stations and will connect Baclaran in Parañaque City to Bacoor, Cavite.
The projected completion of Phase 1 will be in late 2024 or early 2025.
Once fully operational, the project will cut travel time between Baclaran and Bacoor to 25 minutes from one hour and 10 minutes at present. It will also increase LRT-1’s capacity from 500,000 passengers to 800,000 daily.
A joint project of DOTr, Light Rail Transit Authority and Light Rail Manila Corp., the LRT-1 Cavite Extension was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority in 2000.
Construction was expected to begin in 2014 but was delayed by right-of-way issues. These issues were settled in 2016, allowing for the project’s groundbreaking in 2017.
