The Manila Light Rail Transit System, popularly and informally known as the LRT, is a metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. The system is operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), a government-owned and controlled corporation under the authority of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
The network consists of two lines: the original LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) or Green Line, and the more modern MRT Line 2 (MRT-2), or Blue Line. The LRT-1 is aligned in a general North–South direction along over 17.2 kilometers (10.7 mi) of fully elevated track. From Monumento it runs south above the hustle and bustle of Rizal and Taft Avenues along grade-separated concrete viaducts allowing exclusive right-of-way before ending in Baclaran. Including the extension's two recently opened stations, Balintawak and Roosevelt, the LRT-1 has twenty stations (21). The MRT-2 or Line 2 consists of eleven stations (11) in a general east–west direction over 13.8 kilometers (8.57 mi) of mostly elevated track, with one station lying underground, Katipunan Station. Commencing in Recto, the line follows a corridor defined by Claro M. Recto and Legarda Avenues, Ramon Magsaysay and Aurora Boulevards, and theMarikina-Infanta Highway before reaching the other end of the line at Santolan.The system passes through the cities of Caloocan, Manila, Marikina, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, and San Juan.

Every day around 430,000 passengers aboard the LRT-1, and 175,000 ride the MRT-2.During peak hours, the LRT-1 fields 24 trains; the time interval between the departure of one and the arrival of another, called headway, is a minimum of 3 minutes. The MRT-2 runs 12 trains with a minimum headway of 5 minutes.With the proper upgrades, the Yellow Line is designed to potentially run with headway as low as 1.5 minutes.The MRT-2 can run with headway as low as 2 minutes with throughput of up to 60,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd).

Baclaran, Central Terminal, and Monumento are the LRT-1's three terminal stations; Recto, Araneta Center-Cubao, and Santolan are the terminal stations on the MRT-2. All of them are located on or near major transport routes where passengers can take other forms of transportation such as privately run buses and jeepneys to reach their ultimate destination both within Metro Manila and in neighboring provinces. The system has two depots: the LRT-1 uses the Pasay Depot at LRTA headquarters in Pasay, near Baclaran station, while the MRT-2 uses the Santolan Depot built by Sumitomo in Pasig.

The LRT is open every day of the year from 5:00 am PST (UTC+8) until 10:00 pm on weekdays, and from 5:00 am until 9:30 pm on weekends, except when changes have been announced. Notice of special schedules is given through press releases, via the public address system in every station, and on the LRTA website.

Future Expansion

Plans for expanding the LRTA network have been formulated throughout its history, and successive administrations have touted trains as one of the keys to relieving Metro Manila of its long-standing traffic problems.[66] Expansion of the system was one of the main projects mentioned in a ten-point agenda laid out by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005.

Extensions
A southern extension of LRT-1, also known as LRT-6, is planned. The envisioned line would have 10 stations over 11.7 kilometers (7.3 mi) ending in Bacoor in the province of Cavite. It would be the first line extending outside the Metro Manila area. An unsolicited bid to build and operate this project from Canada's SNC-Lavalin was rejected by the Philippine government in 2005. The government is working with advisers (International Finance Corporation, White & Case, Halcrow, and others) to conduct an open-market invitation to tender for the construction of the extension and a 30-year concession to run it. An additional extension from Bacoor to Imus and from there a further extension to Dasmariñas, both in Cavite, are also being considered.[68][69][70]
As of March 2012, the government announced that the P60 billion LRT-1 south extension project has already been approved by theNational Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) with the bidding expected to take place by the end of March or early April 2012.

The LRTA is also currently conducting studies on the feasibility of a 6.2-kilometer (3.9 mi), four-station LRT-1 spur from Baclaran towards Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, with a projected daily capacity of 40,000 passengers. Funding for the project could be sourced from either official development assistance or a public-private partnership.

There is also a proposal for a 4-kilometer (2.5 mi) eastern extension of the MRT Line 2 from Marikina, crossing into Cainta in Rizal and finally to Masinag Junction in Antipolo, also in Rizal. The line could later be extended as far west as Manila North Harbor and as far east as Cogeo in Antipolo.[73] The construction of the eastern extension to Masinag was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in September 2012.

THE MANILA METRO RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM

The Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 (MRT-3) is Metro Manila's third rapid transit line. It is colored blue (old) and yellow (new) on rail maps.The line is located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's main thoroughfares. While originally intended to decongest EDSA, the MRT-3 has been only partially successful in decongesting EDSA, and congestion is further aggravated by the rising number of motor vehicles. The expansion of the system to cover the entire stretch of EDSA is expected to contribute to current attempts to decongest the thoroughfare and to cut travel times.

Opened in 1999, the MRT-3 is operated by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), a private company operating in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement. Although it has characteristics of light rail, such as the type of rolling stock used, it is more akin to a rapid transitsystem qualifying at least as a light metro.

The line serves 13 stationson 16.9 kilometers (10.5 mi) of line. It is mostly elevated, with some sections at grade or underground. The line commences at North Avenue and ends at Taft Avenue, serving the cities that EDSA passes through:Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay.
Three stations currently serves as interchanges between lines operated by the PNR, LRTA, and MRTC. Magallanes is nearby to EDSA on the PNR, Araneta Center-Cubao is connected to its namesake station as an interchange with the MRT-2, and Taft Avenue is connected toEDSA on the LRT-1. These interchanges have also been designated as transport hubs, where commuters can change to and from take other forms of public transport.

The MRT-3 is open from 5:30 a.m. PST (UTC+8) until 11:00 p.m. Special schedules are announced via the Public Announcement (PA) system in every station and also in newspapers and other mass media. It is open every day of the year except when announced, and during Holy Week, when it is closed for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and lower levels of traffic congestion around the metro. Normal operation resumes after Black Saturday or Easter Sunday.

Capacity Expansion Project
Due to the high ridership of the line a proposal which is under study by the DOTC and NEDA proposes to double the current capacity by acquiring additional light rail vehicles to accommodate the 520,000 passenger a day requirement.
North Extension

Although much of the MRT-3 has already been built, the route envisioned by the DOTC and the government in general was for the MRT-3 to traverse the entire length of EDSA (from Monumento to Taft Avenue), eventually connecting to Line 1 at Monumento in Caloocan. The expansion has been shelved in favor of the LRT-1's extension from Monumento to a new common station that it will share with the MRT-3 at North Avenue, thus closing the loop. It is also planned that the southern terminus of the proposed MRT-7, which will link Quezon City, Caloocan (north), and San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan will be sharing the same station.
The National Economic and Development Authority and even President-then Arroyo herself have said that the MRT3-LRT1 link at North Avenue is a national priority, since it would not only provide seamless service between the LRT-1 and the MRT-3, but would also help decongest Metro Manila. It is estimated that by 2010, when the extension is completed, some 684,000 commuters would use the MRT-3 everyday from the present 400,000, and traffic congestion on EDSA would be cut by as much as fifty percent.
On November 21, 2013, the NEDA board, chaired by President Benigno Aquino III approved the construction of a common station within North Avenue between SM North EDSA and TriNoma Mall. It is estimated to cost 1.4 billion pesos. It will feature head-to-head platforms for LRT-1 and MRT-3 trains with a 147.4-meter elevated walkalator to MRT-7. SM Investments Corporation posted 200 million pesos for the naming rights of the common station.

TRAIN FARES AND TICKETING

• The Manila Light Rail Transit System is one of the least expensive rapidtransit systems in Southeast Asia, costing significantly less to ride than other systems in the region. Fares are distance-based, ranging from 12 to 20 Philippine pesos (₱), or about 29 to 47 U.S. cents (at US$1 = ₱42 as of September 2011), depending on the number of stations traveled to reach the destination. Unlike other transportation systems, in which transfer to another line occurs within a station's paid area, passengers have to exit and then pay a new fare for the line they are entering. This is also the case on the Yellow Line when changing boarding platforms to catch trains going in the opposite direction.

The Line 1 uses two different fare structures: one for single journey tickets and another for stored value tickets. Passengers using single journey tickets are charged ₱12, ₱15, or ₱20 depending on the number of stations traveled or whether the newly opened Balintawak or Roosevelt station is part of their trip. Stored value tickets are charged on a more finely graduated basis with fares ranging from ₱12 to ₱19.

LRT Line 1
Fares excluding those to and from Balintawak or Roosevelt Fares to and from Balintawak or Roosevelt
Distance (no. of stations) 1–4 5–8 9–12 13–17 1–2 3–4 5–7 8–10 11–13 14–16 17–18
Single journey ticket fare (₱) 12 15 15 15 15 15 15 20 20 20 20
Stored value ticket fare (₱) 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

The Line 2, on the other hand, has only one fare structure. Passengers are charged ₱12 for the first three stations, ₱13 for a journey of four to six stations, ₱14 for seven to nine stations and ₱15 for a trip along the entire line.

MRT Line 2
Distance (no. of stations) 1–3 4–6 7–9 10
Single journey or stored value ticket fare (₱) 12 13 14 15

• The MRT-3, like the LRT-1 and MRT-2, uses a distance-based fare structure, with fares ranging from ten to fifteen pesos (23 to 35 U.S. cents), depending on the destination. Commuters who ride the MRT-3 are charged ₱10 for the first three stations, ₱11 for 4–5 stations, ₱12 for 6–8 stations, ₱14 for 9–11 stations and ₱15 for 12 stations or the entire line. Children below 1.02 metres (3 ft 4.4 in) (the height of a fare gate) may ride for free on the MRT-3.

Two types of MRT-3 tickets exist: a single-journey (one-way) ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination and a stored-value (multiple-use) ticket for 100 pesos. The 200-peso & 500-peso stored-value tickets was issued in the past, but has since been phased out. The single-journey ticket is valid only on the date of purchase. Meanwhile, the stored-value ticket is valid for three months from date of first use.

MRT-3
Distance (no. of stations) 1–3 4–5 6–8 9–11 12
Single journey or stored value ticket fare (₱) 10 11 12 14 15

PROPOSED LRT AND MRT FARE INCREASE

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and Metro Rail Transit III (MRT-3) recently presented a proposal to increase fares for the LRT and MRT lines during the one-time public consultation conducted at the LRT-2 Depot in Santolan, Pasig City. As a background to the proposal, the transport agencies explained that the LRTA and the MRT-3 are both operating at a loss, requiring the national government to subsidize much of their expenses. These include daily operating expenses such as overhead, power supply, and salaries. They also include costs for repairs and replacement of train and rail parts, and for the payment of existing debts. Based on their 2012 financial records, the LRTA had a deficit of P 4.704 Billion, while MRT-3’s deficit was at P 7.250 Billion. The average cost per passenger for LRT 1 and 2 was at P 34.74. 59% of this, or P 20.46, was shouldered by the government, and only 41%, or P 14.28, was actually paid by the commuter. In the case of MRT 3, the average cost per passenger was P 53.96. 77% or P41.46 was subsidized by government, while only 23% or P12.40 was paid by the passenger.

Part of the reason why the national budget subsidized these amounts is because there has been no rail fare increase since 2003. In fact, only LRT-1 has raised its fares over the course of its existence. LRT-2 has charged the same rates since it began operating in 2002. Meanwhile, MRT-3’s fares went down by more than half the original rates from 1999 to 2001, and they have never been raised. As a result, it is cheaper to travel on any of the three (3) rail lines compared to jeepneys, buses, and UV Express services, on an endpoint-to-endpoint basis. The LRTA and MRT-3 now propose to rationalize the fare system by adopting the “users pay” principle, whereby commuters will be charged based on the distance they travel instead of the number of stations they pass. This will also bring LRT and MRT fares closer to those of other public utility land transport options. Under the proposed “11+1” formula – which means that passengers will be charged P 11.00 to board the trains plus P 1.00 for every kilometer travelled – an additional P 2.06 Billion in revenues will be earned by the LRTA and the MRT-3. This will be deducted from the subsidy that government will continue to provide. These added revenues may then be used to enhance services at the rail lines by improving facilities and providing better maintenance works. According to the LRTA, its on-going and recently-completed projects involve medical and security upgrades, such as the provision of ambulances, first-aid kits, stretchers, and wheelchairs. It has also installed CCTV cameras, walkthrough metal detectors, and signages for better safety and convenience of passengers. Defective escalators and elevators have also been repaired.
For its part, the MRT-3 says that it is already implementing its Passenger Information System and the Platform Monitoring System. An ambulance is now also provided for emergency medical needs, and signages and walkthrough metal detectors have been installed. It is also procuring certain items for increased safety and convenience, such as perimeter security enhancements, provision of hand straps for the trains cars, and station lighting replacements. For the longer-term infrastructure projects, the DOTC is set to award the contract for a common ticketing system for the 3 rail lines this month. This tap-and-go Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) will cut queuing time and will make line transfers seamless and much more convenient. The DOTC is also currently bidding out the project to extend the LRT-1 system from Baclaran all the way to Bacoor, Cavite to serve an estimated 500,000 additional passengers. It will also start the bidding process to build a common station to connect the MRT-3 and LRT-1 lines in the EDSA-North Avenue area in 2014. This will also make traveling more convenient. Additional Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) will also be delivered to the MRT-3 system, to increase passenger capacity and lessen waiting time at its stations. This will help loosen up the highly-congested MRT-3 facilities by 2016.

A new rapid transit line called the MRT-7 will also be constructed to connect the EDSA-North Avenue area to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan via Commonwealth Avenue. Finally, the LRT-2 line will also be extended eastward from Santolan to the Masinag area in Rizal province. While all these improvement projects are being pursued by the transport agencies in order to modernize their systems and to deliver convenient, reliable, efficient, and safe services, the projected P 2.06 Billion additional revenues for LRTA and MRT-3 will mean that this amount can also be allocated by the national government to projects outside of Metro Manila. Since the government subsidy is sourced from national funds, this will also mean a more equitable distribution of resources. For instance, these savings will be equal to 8,240 classrooms, 82 farm-to-market roads, or the irrigation of 11,240 hectares of farmlands. As a result, the benefits of the saved funds will be enjoyed not only by the commuting population of Metro Manila, but by stakeholders in various sectors in other parts of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. After presenting the proposed fare increase to the public, the DOTC, LRTA, and MRT-3 opened the floor for discussion to solicit opinions and comments in order to achieve a meaningful dialogue with concerned citizens. The transport agencies will now evaluate whether or not it is timely to implement the proposed fare increase given both the considerations above and the inputs provided during the public consultation.