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The entire LRT-2 line, which traverses several Metro Manila districts, will remain closed today following a fire that gutted stations in Quezon City.
Safety checks could not be completed in time yesterday, Light Rail Transit Authority administrator Reynaldo Berroya said in a statement posted online last night, meaning all stations from Cubao to Recto would remain closed.
“We cannot compromise the safety of everyone so we need to thoroughly check the integrity and stability of LRT-2 structures and equipment before we resume operations,” Berroya said.
No timeframe was given for completion and work and resumption of service.
Operations will resume once the authority is certain that the signaling, telecommunications, and power supply systems were not damaged by Thursday’s blaze, according to Berroya’s statement.
Read: Blaze breaks out at LRT-2 station in Quezon City, operations suspended
The authority said that 30 buses and 20 public utility vehicles were deployed today at the Santolan station in Pasig to ferry passengers between there and Cubao in Quezon City. Fares are PHP12 to PHP15 (about US$0.25), which is comparable to regular train fares. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will also provide free roundtrip transportation from Santolan to Cubao from 7am to 7pm daily.
A fire broke out Thursday morning between the Katipunan and Anonas Stations in Quezon City due to a malfunctioning voltage regulator. That led the rail authority to temporarily cease the operation of three stations — Santolan, Katipunan, and Anonas — for the next nine months because to replace parts only available from overseas.
The authority stands to lose an estimated PHP3.2 million (US$61,700) for every day of the outage at the three stations.
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