The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) is set to inaugurate Thursday, July 1, the two new stations of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) under the East Extension project.
President Duterte, DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade and LRTA Administrator Reynaldo Berroya are expected to lead the formal inauguration of the LRT-2 East Extension Project, which adds 3.793 kilometers (km) to the existing 13.8-km train line.
The two new stations--the Marikina Station and Antipolo Station--will connect Recto in Manila to Antipolo, Rizal.
The Marikina Station (located in front of the Sta. Lucia mall and Robinsons) and the Antipolo Station (located in front of SM Masinag)—will offiically start operations on Monday, July 5.
According to Tugade, this extension will significantly reduce travel time from Recto to Masinag from the usual three hours via bus or jeepney to a mere 30 to 40 minutes.
Once operational, the project will increase the rail line’s average daily passenger capacity from 240,000 to 320,000, he said.
"The LRT-2 East Extension Project is expected to help reduce traffic congestion along Marcos Highway, especially in Marikina, Pasig, and Antipolo given that road transport passengers will be redirected to riding the train," Tugade explained.
The LRTA, operator of the LRT-2, earlier released the approved fares for the LRT-2 East Extension Stations. A train ride from Recto Terminal Station to Marikina and Antipolo stations will cost P30 for a single journey ticket, while the fare will be P26 and P28, respectively, for stored-value cards.
Here is the complete fare matrix of LRT-2 with the East Extension stations taken into account:
The plan to extend the LRT-2 line from Santolan Station to Marikina-Pasig and then to Antipolo City has been a part of the "Master Plan for Metro Manila" since 1999 under the Metro Manila Urban Integration Study (MMUTIS).
The project was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board back in September 2012. The construction of viaducts began in April 2015.
The actual and full blast construction of the two new stations started in February 2017, with a contract amount of P1.1 billion. Meanwhile, the electromechanical systems contract worth P3.4 billion was awarded in December 2018.