MANILA — The Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) will be closed on December 3 to 4 so that the Roosevelt station may be reintegrated to the rail line.
Pangilinan-led Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) announced in an advisory over the weekend the suspension of the LRT-1 operations.
According to LRMC chief operating officer Rolando Paulino III, the LRT-1 has to be closed for two days to allow for the reintegration of the Roosevelt station with the 19 stations of the railway.
During the suspension, LRMC will determine the viability of reactivating the northernmost LRT-1 station by conducting readiness tests, trial runs, and rail exercises.
The rail operator wants to see how the Roosevelt station will perform under its new signaling system.
LRMC plans to startbegin the commercial operations from Baclaran station to Roosevelt station by December 5 once the results of the test runs are confirmed acceptable.
Passengers were encouraged to plan their trips ahead of time due to the interruption caused by the LRT-1 suspension.
“We assure the public that the weekend closure of the LRT-1 will result in long-term benefits for commuters,” Paulino said.
“In coordination with our private and government partners, it will be all hands on deck to ensure a safe and successful resumption of commercial operations for the full LRT-1 rail line,” he added.
LRMC closed the Roosevelt station in September 2020 to clear the way for the government to build the P3-billion Unified Grand Central Station.
The common station is expected to connect the rail lines of the LRT-1, Metro Rail Transit Line 3 and MRT- 7.
Due to delays caused by COVID lockdowns, the government had to adjust the construction schedule for the common station.
LRMC postponed the reopening of the Roosevelt station, limiting the LRT-1 operations from Baclaran, Parañaque to Balintawak, Quezon City.
“We advise commuters to stay tuned as we conduct these readiness tests along the LRT-1 and be updated on the status of the Roosevelt reopening,” Paulino said.
“We assure the public that once the reopening is confirmed, LRMC is ready to serve passengers, adding Roosevelt station to our existing operational stations,” he added.
