MANILA, Philippines – The Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1) will temporarily close down on Saturday, December 3, and Sunday, December 4.

LRT1 private operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) said in a statement last Saturday, November 26, that the weekend closure will allow for the reintegration of the Roosevelt Station with the other 19 stations from Baclaran to Balintawak. 

LRMC will conduct readiness tests, trial runs, and exercises to check the preparedness of the Roosevelt Station under the LRT1’s new Alstom signaling system.

The target reopening of the LRT1 is on Monday, December 5, with operations resuming along the full line from Baclaran Station to Roosevelt Station.

The LRT1 Roosevelt Station has been closed since September 5, 2020, to accommodate the government’s construction of the Light Rail Transit-Metro Rail Transit (LRT-MRT) common station. The station is envisioned to connect the LRT1 and the MRT3, as well as the under-construction MRT7 and the planned Metro Manila Subway.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and adjustments in the construction timelines of the common station, reopening of LRT1 Roosevelt Station was put on hold, resulting [in] limited LRT1 operations servicing only from Baclaran to Balintawak,” LRMC said, explaining why the station has been closed for more than two years.

“We advise commuters to stay tuned as we conduct these readiness tests along the LRT1 and be updated on the status of Roosevelt reopening. We assure the public that once reopening is confirmed, LRMC is ready to serve our LRT1 passengers, adding Roosevelt Station to our existing operational stations,” LRMC chief operating officer Rolando Paulino III added. – Rappler.com