The Philippines has unveiled new fourth-generation light rail vehicles (LRVs) made using Japanese technology as part of the government’s train modernization program. The Philippines procured a total of 120 LRVs through a Japan International Cooperation Agency Official Development Assistance (JICA ODA) loan.
Manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation, the new LRVs feature a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) that will allow the train operator to easily troubleshoot and identify possible causes of any operational glitch. Purchased at more than PHP 12.8 billion (USD 227 million), the LRVs are equipped with an advanced passenger information system, upgraded train brakes and a signaling system that will improve operational efficiency by reducing passengers’ waiting time between trains at stations to less than three minutes.
The Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said that the new LRVs will traverse the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas in Metro Manila, and Bacoor City in Cavite at a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour. This would reduce travel time to just 25 minutes from the current one hour and 10 minutes. Secretary Bautista also said that a four-car train set can carry a minimum of 1,388 passengers, which translates to increased daily ridership to 300,000 passengers from the existing 280,000 a day.
(Sources: Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
