LRT-1 cuts trips after train emits smoke

MANILA, Philippines — The Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) cut its trips yesterday after smoke was seen rising from one of its trains.

Twitter user @TheMariaIris posted a video of the incident, saying she thought she “saw a spark.” The video featured smoke rising from a train stopped near the Gil Puyat station as passengers walked along the elevated railway.

She also posted a photo of five fire trucks below the railway.

In a statement, LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) said the incident prompted it to cut train trips since 2:18 p.m. Only the stations from Central Terminal to Balintawak were left open, while the rest of the stations – from United Nations to Baclaran – were shut.

LRMC said the southbound train “experienced a catenary fault issue” as it was about to approach the Gil Puyat station at 2:09 p.m. Catenary or overhead wires are used to supply electricity to trains.

It would take hours before the LRMC’s engineering team would finish assessing the issue and repairing the faulty parts, the firm added.