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Light Rail Manila Consortium has signed project financing and an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT1) Cavite extension PPP project in Manila, Philippines.

Light Rail Manila Consortium is composed of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), Ayala Corporation and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings.

On one hand, the team has signed a 15-year Omnibus Loan and Security Agreement with Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank), Security Bank Corporation and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), with P15.3 billion (US$321.9 million) of the total loan to be used for the Cavite extension and P8.7 billion (US$183.1 million) to be used for the upgrade of the existing LRT1 system.

The total project investment is estimated at P64.9 billion (US$1.365 billion).

On the other hand, the team has signed an EPC agreement, under which, French rail makers Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport will be involved in the construction of the LTR extension.

The LRT-1 expansion project includes the operation and maintenance of the entire LRT-1 system for a 35 year concession period. 

Bouygues Travaux Publics will provide the railway infrastructure and Alstom will provide system integration and project management; build a new train depot; extend the existing depot complete with track works; and establish a new power supply, catenary lines, and signaling and telecommunications system.

The LRT extension project will lengthen Line 1 from 20.7 kilometers to 32.4 km, with a new south endpoint in Niog, Bacoor, Cavite. Approximately 10.5 km of the Cavite Extension System will be elevated and 1.2 km will be at grade level. The extension will serve nearly 4 million residents of Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Cavite.

Additionally, a total of eight new stations will be developed with 3 intermodal facilities across Pasay City, Paranaque City, Las Pinas City and Cavite. The eight new stations are Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog. The intermodal facilities will be located at Dr Santos, Zapote, and Niog.