(Eagle News) — Two new stations that are part of the Light Rail Transit-2 East Extension project will be formally opened on June 22.
“Matagal na ‘hong inaantay yan ng ating mga kababayan. Ngayon nakita ko na matutuloy na at magiging operational ang ating tren (Our countrymen have long been waiting for those. Now I see they finally become operational),” Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said of the Marikina and Antipolo stations.
Once completed, the LRT-2 East Extension Project—one of the big-ticket railway infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the government— will reduce travel time from Recto, Manila to Antipolo, Rizal to just 40 minutes.
As it is, the trip via bus or jeepney takes three hours.
The department said the project is also expected to increase the rail line’s current ridership with an additional 80,000 passengers daily.
That means from the previous 240,000, a total of 320,000 daily ridership is expected.
“With another day less in the term of office, we at the DOTr are making sure that projects of this magnitude and significant impact will be made available to the riding public soonest,” the department said.
