LRT-2 may suspend ops indefinitely

Para po sa mga nagtatanong, ganito po hitsura ng mga LRT2 power rectifiers. Ito po ay yung nasa Santolan Depot na isa rin sa na-damage. pic.twitter.com/ERasPkQcmA

— Hernando T. Cabrera (@attycabs) October 3, 2019

MANILA – The Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) has suspended its operations Friday and may remain so indefinitely following a fire that damaged its tracks, electrical and communications systems on Thursday.

Lawyer Hernando Cabrera, LRT-2 spokesperson, on Thursday said the rail line will not resume full or partial operations on Friday, with no definite date of service resumption, based on a report from the Light Rail Transit Authority’s (LRTA) Engineering and Safety Units.

“Several technical & safety concerns prevent resumption of operations,” Cabrera said in a Twitter post.

These concerns include the signaling and communications systems of the LRT-2 which monitors and controls the trains to maintain a safe operational speed and distance between trains.

He added that trains between Recto and Anonas stations were unable to return to their depot which prevented them from undergoing daily preparation and maintenance.

Meanwhile, passengers are advised to find alternative modes of transportation, Cabrera said.

In a statement on Thursday, LRTA administrator Reynaldo Berroya said the primary concern of the transit company is to determine the extent of the damage “to ascertain the integrity, stability, and safety of LRTA structures and facilities.”

Berroya apologized to the estimated 200,000 daily passengers of the rail line for the inconvenience the incident caused.

The incident, which resulted in the full suspension of the LRT-2 starting at 11:33 a.m. Thursday was reportedly caused by fires in two power rectifier (transformer) substations in the LRT-2 system.