Recurring glitches plague LRT-2

MANILA, Philippines — The Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) was hit with recurring glitches beginning Thursday, inconveniencing passengers.

At around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, LRT-2 operator Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) announced there would be limited train trips from Cubao to Recto stations. The glitch lasted until past 7:40 p.m.

At around 10 a.m. yesterday, only train journeys from Santolan to Recto stations were available, the LRTA declared. Full line operations, or point-to-point train trips from Antipolo to Recto stations, were restored 43 minutes later.

However, at past 12:50 p.m., the rail line operator announced that LRT-2 trains would only carry passengers between Santolan and Recto stations. Commuters coming from Antipolo and Marikina stations were brought to the Santolan station using a shuttle train, it added.

The breakdowns were caused by a “recurring signaling problem at the Line 2 East Extension area,” the LRTA said.

President Duterte led the inauguration of the LRT-2 East Extension, composed of the Antipolo and Marikina stations, last July.

Passengers complained about the frequent malfunctions of LRT-2, with some of them calling out the Department of Transportation – the LRT-2’s lead agency – to fix the problem.