LRT-2 Trains Will Soon Be Replaced with New High-Cooling Capacity Train Units

The Light Rail Transit Authority has just announced that trains of LRT line 2 will soon be replaced by new train units with better cooling capacity compared to the old ones. The contract has already been awarded the joint venture of MRAIL Inc and Multi-Scan Corporation.

Not the actual photo of the new trains.

According to PTV News, 10 new running trains will replace the current 80 air-conditioning units of LRT line 2. Each train units features 4-car passenger trains, air-condition units with a cooling capacity of 20 to 24 degrees Celsius, and is environment-friendly!

The new trains will also be able to connect to the train monitoring system and adjust its temperature based on the number of passengers aboard it. At the moment, the cooling capabilities of the 15-year-old trains we use today has dropped by 50% its standard capacity. This means it can get really hot during when the trains are full during peak hours.

This new project has an estimated cost of 350 million pesos and is expected to be implemented in the first three months of 2019. However, LRTA assures its passengers that some of the units may start to be replaced before the year ends.

LRT line 2 is a 13.8 km train line that starts from Recto to Santolan and vice versa. It is composed of 11 stations that include Santolan, Katipunan, Anonas, Araneta Center, Betty Go-Belmonte, Gilmore, J. Ruiz, V. Mapa, Pureza, Legarda, and Recto. It is open on weekdays from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM and weekends from 5:00 AM to 9:30 PM. It has three interchange station which are in Pureza, Araneta Center and Recto Station. Fares range from 15 to 25 pesos according to Wikipedia.

Unlike other country, trains in the Philippines are situated above ground or elevated over main roads except for LRT line 2 that has one underground station.