The Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension - Phase 1.  LRMC handout

MANILA -- Five new stations have been added to the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inaugurated the Cavite Extension Project Phase 1 on Friday.

These stations are the Redemptorist-Aseana station, MIA Road station, PITX station, Ninoy Aquino Avenue station and Dr. Santos (Sucat) station. The new stations will formally be opened to the public on Nov. 16, Saturday.

The LRT-1 currently runs from FPJ Avenue Station (formerly Roosevelt) in Quezon City to Baclaran Station in Pasay. With the extension of the railway, commuters will now be able to ride from North EDSA in Quezon City all the way to Sucat in Parañaque.

The LRT-1 Cavite Extension is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project between the Department of Transportation and the railway's private operator, LIght Rail Manila Corp. 

According to Light Rail Transit Authority Administrator (LRTA) Atty. Hernando Cabrera, 80,000 passengers will be added to the ridership of Line 1.

“Ang kagandahan kasi nito is that marami ang, ang projection natin, marami ang instead na sasakay ng jeep or magba-bus at magdadala pa ng sasakyan, talagang they would take na lang na sasakay sila ng tren,” Cabrera said on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

He added that for the extension project, 30 additional trains were bought with each train having 4 cars.

“In total 120 na bagon ‘yung ating binili para dito sa project na ito,” Cabrera said. “Napakamoderno na itong mga bagong tren natin, napakalamig ng aircon…’yung isang train set composing of 4 na bagon, kayang magsakay nito ng mga around 1,200 na pasahero.”

The LRTA said it is also looking forward to opening Phase 2 in Las Piñas and Phase 3 in Bacoor, Cavite.