The Light Rail Transit Line 6 is a proposed rapid transit system in Cavite, Philippines. [1] There have been two proposals for the line, with the first one shelved immediately in 2018. [2] Another proposal emerged in 2017 and is currently under review by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
The province of Cavite is known as a "bedroom community" for those who work in Metro Manila. Over the recent decades, urbanization has been widespread in the country and urban sprawl has been most evident within the Greater Manila Area. The LRT Line 6 aims to provide rail transport options to 45 percent of Cavite's population which are concentrated on the cities of Bacoor, Imus and Dasmariñas. [3]
Trains belonging to the Manila Railroad Company previously plied the Naic line from Paco station in Manila to Naic station in Naic, Cavite. The commuter rail line was opened in 1909 by the virtue of Insular Government Act No. 1905. [4] It had 19 stations over 44 km (27 mi) of track. There was also a branch line to Cavite City which would have branched off at Noveleta. Some of these trains passed by once towns of Parañaque and Las Piñas in Manila, as well as Bacoor in Cavite. The line ended operation by 1936 and much of the line has been built over in the following decades, such as the expansion of the Nichols Field. Some of the historical right-of-way is now shared between the Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base and Ninoy Aquino International Airport. [5] [6]
There were no plans to rebuild a line to Cavite until the 1990s, when the 1993 Updated Traffic and Transport Management Plan, which proposes the network of five LRT lines, including the sixth line that would run from Baclaran to Zapote in Las Pinas for 8 kilometers, was proposed by the Public Estates Authority (PEA, now the Philippine Reclamation Authority), and the Australia-based TGM completed the pre-feasibility study in 1997. [7] [8] [9] The project was also identified in the Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 1999. [10]
In 2004, Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin proposed an extension of the existing Line 1 to Cavite. However, the Arroyo administration rejected the study in 2005. [11] In 2012, the LRT Line 1 south extension project as a public-private partnership project. It aims to extend the line to Bacoor, Cavite with a target start of construction in 2014 and opening date in mid-2015. [12] However, the bidding process failed and the government repeatedly postponed the project starting in 2013. [13] It was not until 2019 when construction for the LRT Line 1 extension commenced and is currently 61.60% complete as of December 2021. [14] The line in its current form has a targeted partial opening date by October 2024 and will be fully operational by 2031. [15] [16]
The first mention of a separate LRT Line 6 in Cavite was when then-president Benigno Aquino III approved the construction of the LRT Line 6 in Cavite after a National Economic and Development Authority board meeting on September 6, 2015. [17] The project would have cost an estimated PHP64 billion or US$1.42 billion. [18] In December of that year, the Department of Transportation and Communications (later the Department of Transportation) started bidding by inviting interested firms to bid on the project. [19] But there were repeatedly delays due to deadlines being extended several times in 2016. [20] [21] [22]
Although sixteen firms showed interest in the LRT Line 6 project by sending representatives to a pre-qualification conference last February, namely: Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.; Ayala Corporation; Bombardier; CFP Transaction Advisors; Daelim Industrial Company Ltd. (now DL E&C); DMCI; Egis; First Metro Investments Corporation; Metro Builders Corporation; Metro Pacific Investments; Mott MacDonald; Ove Arup & Partners; Prime Asset Ventures, Inc.; Robinsons Land; San Miguel Corporation; and SYSTRA. [22]
The first proposal was described as a 19 km (12 mi) commuter rail line along the route of the Aguinaldo Highway. It will start from Niog station, which is separate from the Line 1 station and the two lines will not share tracks. The next stations will be Tirona, Imus, and Daang Hari stations in Imus; and Salitran, Congressional Avenue, and Governor's Drive in Dasmariñas. [3] Procurement of rolling stock to facilitate operations, and rolling stock was expected to be electric multiple units using overhead catenary traction power. [3] This project however was shelved indefinitely in 2018, citing issues such as right-of-way and congestion along that highway. [2]
In 2018, Villar-led Prime Asset Ventures Inc. came up with an alternative proposal for the said railway line. [23] The new mainline consists of 23.5 km (14.6 mi) long, nine (9) stations, passing through the less congested arterial road of Molino–Paliparan Road, including the large-scale vacant properties in Bacoor and Dasmariñas, Cavite. The new proposal will branch out its railway network in Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque where large-scale subdivisions are situated. As of December 2020, the proposal has passed the stringent qualifications set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, prompting to issue an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) on February 7, 2020. [24] The project is now under review by the NEDA-ICC alongside other unsolicited proposals such as the Metro Manila SkyTrain and the MRT Line 10. Unless stated otherwise, the entire line will be most likely a separate line from Line 1, like the previous proposal.
The present Line 6 proposal is 23.5 km (14.6 mi) long, with 9 stations as part of the initial proposal. The main line is so-called Modified Line 6, formerly called Line 6A. It is 23.5 kilometers (14.6 miles) long, starting at Niog station that is connected to the LRT Line 1 Cavite extension and ending at Governor's Drive station. Due to alignment changes, the new Governor's Drive station in Dasmariñas is relocated to Barangay Paliparan, 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles) east of the original station in Pala-Pala area in Barangay Sampaloc I. [1] There would be also an extension of the line to Tagaytay, although only this section of the line has been presented to the government. [25]
Three stations have been named after locations outside the line's actual right of way: San Pedro, Alabang and GMA. San Pedro being named after the city of San Pedro, Laguna, Alabang after the eponymous barangay in Muntinlupa, and GMA station after the town of General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite. It was however stated in the unsolicited proposal that Alabang Line 6 station is actually located in Barangay Molino IV in Bacoor, while San Pedro will be located in Salawag and GMA in Paliparan IV, both are barangays of Dasmariñas. [1]
| Name | Structure type | Connections | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niog | Elevated | Proposed interchange with  Manila LRT | Bacoor, Cavite |
| Bacoor City Hall | Elevated | none | |
| San Nicolas | Embankment |
| |
| Daang Hari | Embankment |
| |
| San Pedro | Elevated | none | |
| Alabang | Embankment | Dasmariñas, Cavite | |
| La Salle | Elevated | ||
| GMA | Elevated | ||
| Governor's Drive | Elevated |
| |
Both the Filipino proponents and the Japanese consultants also included their proposed expanded network to their documents. It includes Line 6B, an airport rail link extension of Line 6 to Ninoy Aquino International Airport; Line 6C, a spur line near the Parañaque–Muntinlupa border; Line 6D, another spur line to Alabang, near the Alabang station of the Philippine National Railways; and the Line 6 extension to Tagaytay. [25] Line 6D is also being developed by the Japanese firm as a separate line. [26] Altogether, the combined line length is at approximately 86 km (53 mi) with a combined track length of around 169 km (105 mi). [1] According to the 2020 Japanese study, the expansion is set to be completed by 2040. [26]
Line 6B will run between Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay and San Nicolas Line 6A station in Bacoor, Cavite. The line is 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) long with 10 stations and will have a single track section between NAIA and Sucat Road. [25]
| Name | Structure type | Connections | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAIA Terminal 1 | Elevated |
| Pasay |
| Sucat | Elevated | Proposed interchange with Manila LRT
| Parañaque |
| Canaynay | Elevated | Proposed interchange with Manila LRT
| |
| Naga | Elevated | none | Las Piñas |
| Daang Hari | Elevated | ||
| Alabang–Zapote | Elevated | ||
| Marcos–Alvarez | Elevated | ||
| Apollo | Elevated | ||
| Queen's Row | Elevated | ||
| San Nicolas | Embankment | Proposed interchange with Manila LRT | Bacoor, Cavite |
Line 6C will run along the right-of-way of Dr. Santos Avenue in Parañaque. A 7.7 km (4.8 mi) 6-station spur of Line 6B, it will split with Line 6B between Canaynay and El Grande stations. While a majority of the area would not have a right-of-way issue for an elevated railway, a two-way ramp leading to the Sucat exit of the Metro Manila Skyway will cause a section of the line leading to Lake Front station to be built as an underpass. [1]
| Name | Structure type | Connections | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sucat (NAIA) | Elevated | Proposed interchange with Manila LRT
| Parañaque |
| Canaynay | Elevated | Proposed interchange with Manila LRT
| |
| El Grande | Elevated |
| |
| San Antonio | Elevated | none | |
| President | Elevated | none | |
| St. James | Elevated |
| |
| Lake Front | Depressed |
| Muntinlupa |
Line 6D is connected to Line 6B at Marcos–Alvarez station in Las Piñas. It will be 5 km (3.1 mi) with 4 stations along the Alabang–Zapote Road in Las Piñas and Muntinlupa. This line will have a targeted opening date by 2030. [25]
This branch in particular is also the subject of the Japanese feasibility study published by METI in 2020. Line 6D's Starmall station is located on a vacant lot beside Alabang exit of the South Luzon Expressway. The study also proposed a footbridge connection to the future Alabang station of the North–South Commuter Railway. It is also proposed to be converted into a separate line in the future named the Alabang–Zapote Line. Once this extension is approved, the Alabang–Zapote Line will reach the Cavite Economic Zone in Rosario, Cavite. The total length would also be at 23 kilometers (14 miles). The expansion is targeted to be completed by 2040. [26]
| Name | Structure type | Connections | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcos–Alvarez | Elevated | Proposed interchange with Manila LRT
| Las Piñas |
| Madrigal | Elevated |
| Muntinlupa |
| Filinvest | Elevated | none | |
| South Superhighway | Elevated |
| |
The line will use electric multiple units that will be powered through overhead lines, but the type of the rolling stock used remains unspecified. In the 2015 study, Line 6 trains will use 750 V DC electrification, similar to LRT Line 1 as well as some light rail and light rapid transit systems used overseas. The trainsets will also be arranged into a four-car formation reflective of newer-generation light rail vehicles (LRVs) used on Line 1. The use of the term "commuter rail" for the rolling stock made it ambiguous as to whether or not the line will use LRVs or high-capacity trainsets. [27]
In the 2019 proposal, it is also left unspecified as to use LRVs or rapid transit trainsets. The project proposes to use a single-articulated, six-axle, standard floor car type with eight passenger doorways (four on each side). Vehicles will be capable of multiple unit operations. consisting of up to four cars with a total length of 100 m, while each end of the car will be equipped with an operator’s position. Each car will have a passenger capacity of 347 and an operating speed ranging from 35 to 70. km/h. [28] An automated guideway transit was also given as an option for Line 6D in the 2020 Japanese study presented by METI. The 2020 study also recommended the use of 4-car trainsets as with the 2015 proposal. The 2020 study also made allowances for coupling two trains into 8-car sets. The maximum passenger capacity of the trainsets is at 300 per car or 1,200 people per set. In comparison, the LRTA 13000 class has a maximum capacity of 1,388 passengers. The use of the AGT, light rail vehicles, or heavy rail trainsets is currently under assessment by NEDA. [26]
The 2020 study recommends that the line will use island platforms due to its compact size and costs less to construct. The design for the elevated stations will be based on the Yurikamome automated guideway transit system in Tokyo. All elevated stations will feature eki-naka(ja) commercial development. [26] Three stations would be grade-separated by embankment instead of being fully-elevated stations through a viaduct. These are San Nicolas, Daang Hari, and Alabang stations. This is because these stations will be built over private property. [1] Lake Front station of Line 6C will also be built partially underground due to the conflicting pillars of the Metro Manila Skyway Sucat exit ramp. [25] Other than these four stations, the line shall be built with a viaduct.
| Line | Stations | Line length | Track length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 6A | 9 | 23.5 km (14.6 mi) | 47 km (29 mi) |
| Line 6A Extension | 4 | 18.5 km (11.5 mi) | 37 km (23 mi) |
| Line 6B | 10 | 16 km (9.9 mi) | 29 km (18 mi) [lower-alpha 3] |
| Line 6C | 6 | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) [lower-alpha 4] | 15.4 km (9.6 mi) |
| Alabang–Zapote Line (6D) | 4 | 5 km (3.1 mi) | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Alabang–Zapote–CEZ Line (6D Extension) | 15 | 18 km (11 mi) | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Total | 48 | 86 km (53 mi) | 169 km (105 mi) |
Las Piñas (Tagalog:[lasˈpiɲɐs], officially the City of Las Piñas, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 606,293 people.
Bacoor, officially the City of Bacoor, is a 1st class component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 664,625 people, making it the 15th most populous city in the Philippines and the second largest city in the province of Cavite after Dasmariñas.
The Manila Light Rail Transit System, commonly known as the LRT, is an urban rail transit system that primarily serves Metro Manila, Philippines. Although categorized as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it presently has characteristics of a rapid transit system, such as high passenger throughput, exclusive right-of-way, and later use of full metro rolling stock. The LRT is jointly-operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), a government corporation attached to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC). Along with the Manila Metro Rail Transit System and the Metro Commuter Line of the Philippine National Railways, the system makes up Metro Manila's rail infrastructure.
The Manila–Cavite Expressway, signed as E3 of the Philippine expressway network and R-1 of Metro Manila's arterial road network, is a 14-kilometer-long (8.7 mi) controlled-access highway linking Manila to the southern province of Cavite in the Philippines. At its north end, it feeds into and from Roxas Boulevard in the city of Parañaque in Metro Manila, also part of R-1. At the south end, it splits into two termini, both along the north coast in Kawit, Cavite. The first feeds into the intersection of Covelandia Road, Tirona Highway and Antero Soriano Highway. The second southern terminus is an exit-only to Tirona Highway in Barangay Marulas.
EDSA station is an elevated Light Rail Transit (LRT) station located on the LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) system in Pasay. The station is situated on the intersection of Taft Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, better known as EDSA, one of Metro Manila's major thoroughfares. The station and the avenue are both named after Epifanio de los Santos, a noted historian.
Baclaran station is an elevated Light Rail Transit (LRT) station located on the LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) system in Pasay. Situated on the last stretches of Taft Avenue right at the border with Baclaran, Parañaque, it is the current southern terminus of the line. The terminal is named after the famous shopping district of the same name, which is located on the borders of the cities of Pasay and Parañaque.
The Light Rail Transit Line 1, commonly referred to as LRT Line 1 or LRT-1, is a light rapid transit system line in Metro Manila, Philippines, operated by Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) and owned by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) as part of the Manila Light Rail Transit System. Originally referred to as Metrorail and the Yellow Line, LRT Line 1 was reclassified to be the Green Line in 2012. It travels in a general north–south direction from Baclaran to Monumento, and then east–west from Monumento to Fernando Poe Jr. Currently, the line consists of 20 stations and runs on 19.7 kilometers of fully elevated route. Although it has the characteristics of light rail, such as with the type of rolling stock used, it is more akin to a rapid transit system owing to its total grade separation and high passenger throughput.
Zapote station is an under-construction Light Rail Transit (LRT) station located on the LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) system in Bacoor, Cavite. Zapote differs from other LRT-1 stations in that it will be constructed at grade. It is part of the LRT-1 South Extension Project. The station would be the first LRT-1 station outside Metro Manila. The station will be situated near the Zapote Exit Ramp of Manila-Cavite Expressway in Barangay Zapote V (Longos).
The Metro Manila Skyway, officially the Metro Manila Skyway System (MMSS) or simply the Skyway, is an elevated highway serving as the main expressway of Metro Manila, Philippines. It connects the North and South Luzon Expressways with access to Ninoy Aquino International Airport via the NAIA Expressway (NAIAX). It is the first fully grade-separated highway in the Philippines and one of the longest elevated highways in the world, with a total length of approximately 39.2 kilometers (24.4 mi).
Radial Road 2 (R-2), informally known as the R-2 Road, is a network of roads and bridges that all together form the second arterial road of Metro Manila in the Philippines. Spanning some 56.51 kilometers (35.11 mi), it connects the cities and municipalities of Bacoor, Dasmariñas, Imus, Las Piñas, Manila, Parañaque, Pasay, Silang, and Tagaytay in Cavite and Metro Manila.
The Emilio Aguinaldo Highway,, alternatively known as Cavite–Batangas Road and Cavite-Manila South Road, is a four-to-six lane, 41.4-kilometer (25.7 mi), network of primary and secondary highways passing through the busiest towns and cities of Cavite, Philippines. It is the busiest and most congested of the three major highways located in the province, the others are Governor's Drive and Antero Soriano Highway.
Las Piñas station is an under-construction Light Rail Transit (LRT) station located on the LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) system in Las Piñas. It is part of the LRT-1 South Extension Project. It is one of two proposed LRT-1 stations in Las Piñas, the other being Manuyo Uno.
Niog station is an under-construction Light Rail Transit (LRT) station which will serve as the termini of the LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) and the proposed LRT Line 6 (LRT-6). The station will be situated on the intersection of Aguinaldo Highway and Niog Road in Bacoor, Cavite. It is part of the LRT-1 South Extension Project, being the final station on the planned extension, while it shall be an intermodal terminal with the LRT-6 towards Pala-Pala station.
Alabang–Zapote Road is a four-lane national road which travels east–west through the southern limits of Metro Manila, Philippines. It runs parallel to Dr. Santos Avenue in the north and is named for the two barangays that it links: Alabang in the city of Muntinlupa and Zapote in both the cities of Bacoor and Las Piñas.
Daang Hari, also known as the Las Piñas–Muntinlupa–Laguna–Cavite Link Road, is a collector road that links southern Metro Manila to the province of Cavite in the Philippines. It begins as a north–south road from Commerce Avenue, just south of the Alabang–Zapote Road running for 5.9 kilometers (3.7 mi) on the boundary of Las Piñas and Muntinlupa. It then runs east–west for about 9.2 kilometers (5.7 mi) from its junction with Daang Reyna, winding through the cities of Bacoor, Imus, Dasmariñas, and General Trias.
The Metro Manila Subway, formerly known as the Mega Manila Subway (MMS) is an under-construction underground rapid transit line in Metro Manila, Philippines. The 33-kilometer (21 mi) line, which will run north–south between Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Parañaque and Pasay, consists of 17 stations between the East Valenzuela and Bicutan stations. It will become the country's second direct airport rail link after the North–South Commuter Railway, with a branch line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The Zapote River, also referred to as the LasPiñas–Zapote River, is a river in the Philippines located between the boundaries of the cities of Las Piñas and Muntinlupa in Metro Manila, Bacoor and Dasmariñas in Cavite, and San Pedro in Laguna. The river has a total length of 5.81 kilometers (3.61 mi).
National Route 62 (N62) forms part of the Philippine highway network. It runs south from Metro Manila to northeastern Cavite.
Expressway 2 (E2) forms part of the Philippine expressway network. Its main route runs from Makati to Santo Tomas as South Luzon Expressway and from Santo Tomas to Batangas City as STAR Tollway. It also has spurs signed as E2 as well. South Luzon Expressway's section from Makati to Calamba, apparently as well as Skyway from Makati to Muntinlupa, is also part of AH26.
Rail transportation in the Greater Manila Area is a major part of the transportation system in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas. The railway network, collectively known as the Greater Capital Region Railway System, consists of the Manila Light Rail Transit System (LRT), Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT), and Philippine National Railways lines within the region.
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