MANILA, Philippines, 6 November 2018 – LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) recently received French economist and IFC’s highest-ranking executive Philippe Le Houérou who visited to personally reviewed and assessed the railway’s operations and maintenance, as well as the status of the Cavite Extension Project.
“This is in line with our policy on transparency and commitment in ensuring the right strategy for the LRT-1 Cavite Extension project and other improvement programs for the train line,” said LRMC President and CEO Juan Alfonso. “The occasion was a good opportunity for us to show how we have improved the riding experience of our passengers. These are direct effects of the successful PPP program of the Philippine government working with the IFC”
Lauding LRMC for successfully rehabilitating the 35-year old Generation 1 trains of LRT-1, Le Houérou remarked: “So these are good quality trains. They look good and it’s very clean.”
Since assuming operations in 2015, LRMC has constantly been taking measures to improve operations, as well as safety, security, and cleanliness of the LRT-1 trains and stations, which cater to about half a million passengers daily. In a span of three years, the company was able to increase the number of operational trains from 77 to 112, and increase the number of trips from 505 to 554 daily. LRMC also extended operating hours to accommodate more passengers and lessen customer queueing time in stations and trains.
These efforts resulted to increased passenger capacity, improved customer satisfaction, and the achievement of ISO certifications for quality management and environmental management — all unprecedented milestones in the 34-year history of Manila’s oldest light rail system.
As one of the largest global financial institutions working with the private sector in emerging markets and countries, IFC was instrumental in the creation of the public-private partnership (PPP) transaction structure for LRT-1. IFC was engaged by then the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to design the concession agreement and help select the private concessionaire through a competitive and transparent process for the LRT-1 Cavite Extension project.
LRMC is a joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation (MPLRC), Ayala Corporation’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (AC Infra), and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd. (MIHPL)