Preventive Maintenance of Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2)
It is required that the range of rolling stock types and related subsystems
makes maintenance of the rolling stock and system operation more complicated
than it would be for a typical railway system. However, the LRTA is making every
effort to keep up the needed level of service by contracting out all subsystem
maintenance. In the Philippines, only the public sector has operated the railways,
and the private sector lacks the specific knowledge and experience needed to
operate an urban railway. It is possible for the private sector to operate the entire
line of both existing and extended portions, though, if participation of the private
sector from other nations such as Thailand and Malaysia and other countries
where the PPP schemes have been introduced is opened and made available.The
form of the project that can expect the greatest efficiency and improvement in the
profitability of the railroad enterprise management, as well as minimize
disadvantages, is the transfer of operations from the LRTA to a private sector
company. As for the potential forms of the project, this Study made a comparative
evaluation, starting with a case where LRTA only operates and maintains Line 2,
followed by a joint venture formation between LRTA and a private sector company.
Table 1: Operations and Maintenance Comparison
O&M
Entity
LRTA as the
sole Operator
Advantages
· Continuity of operations secured
· Possible
to mobilize O&M
experience and know-how within
LRTA
· Human resources effectively mobilized
· Possible stable and continuous railway
Disadvantages
· Possible high O&M expenses
compared with that of private
sector
· Lower incentives to seek
managerial efficiency and
improve profitability
· Longer processing duration for
spare parts procurement
operations with an improved financial
position
J/V
between
LRTA and a
private
sector
· Securing operational continuity
· Possible
to mobilize O&M
experience and know-how within
LRTA
· Human resources effectively mobilized
· Possible stable and continuous railway
operations with an improved financial
position
· LRTA can provide operation and
managerial
skill,
experience
and
necessary man-power and it will make it
easy to attract private companies who
don’t have railway managerial skill and
experience.
· May not be easy to demonstrate
the advantages of having a
private sector when their stake is
too limited.
· Form, organization structure,
and management of J/V become
complicated, thus LRTA and
private
sector
may
not
effectively participate.
· Higher
managerial efficiency and
improvement of profitability with private
sector participation
· Possible swift procurement when such
operations falls on J/V responsibility
Private
Sector
as
the
Sole
Operator
· Higher
managerial efficiency and
improvement of profitability with private
sector participation
· Possible swift procurement when such
operations falls on J/V responsibility
· From a job security point of view,
Employment of all LRTA staff by the
private company can be arranged in the
concession contract.
· Difficulty
in securing the
continuity of operations
· Not able to mobilize LRTA’s
experience and know-how on
operations and maintenance
Source: Study Team
Funding and Revenues of Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2)
Railways are a sustainable and efficient way to transport people and goods.
They are becoming increasingly important in the transport policies of many
countries. However, the infrastructure and the high demand for maintenance
create additional costs for railway operators (Mario et. al., N.D). To overcome
these challenges, several factors must be taken into account such as considering
the transit line’s ridership, revenues, and current maintenance plan. According to
LRTA’s Accomplishment Report (2022), the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT 2) had
a ridership of 31.64 million in 2022, which is 167% higher than the ridership of
11.84 million in 2021. The relaxation of COVID-19 protocols to Alert Level 1 in
March 2022 was a major factor in this increase. With Metro Manila under Alert
Level 1, LRT 2 was able to operate at full capacity (1,307 maximum passengers
per train) compared to the previous year when it was limited to 20-30% capacity
(274 maximum passengers per train) due to physical distancing requirements. As
a result, the increase in ridership led to an increase in revenue, with total revenues
reaching PHP 1,074.17 million in 2022, which is 61% higher than the revenues of
PHP 667.56 million in 2021. Overall, the LRTA's financial performance in 2022 was
strong, with total revenues increasing by 61% over 2021. The easing of COVID-19
procedures and an increase in student ridership were just a few of the variables
that contributed to the increase in revenue.
Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) Performance and National Transportation Safety
Board
Based on an independent evaluation of itself as a whole, the Light Rail
Transit Authority received an average rating of 84.09% in its most recent annual
report (2022). To meet the Commission's criteria for a weighted average of
90.00%, the result was short by 5.91%. A Performance Scorecard, which converts
the Strategic Objectives in the Strategy Map into vital success indicators as the
foundation of the agency's performance, is required of the Authority in order to
determine its organizational goals.
Table 1. LRT-2 2022 Performance Scoreboard
The preceding years were included in the table that represented the
Performance Scoreboard for Line 2 of the Light Rail Transit in 2022. The table
includes various categories, including Social Impact, Customers and
Stakeholders, Internal Process, Financial, Learning and Growth, and Internal
Process. Following the successful completion of all rehabilitation projects in 2022,
the Agency has demonstrated a considerable improvement in its project
completion rate this year as compared to the previous year. The Authority beat
its previous benchmark of finishing just (1) one project in 2021. Various projects
that aim to enhance the performance of LRT Line 2's service have been
successfully implemented and completed related to the combined efforts of the
men and women of LRTA.
Train Service
The train service has continued to run well throughout the year after the
restoration work for Train Set Nos. 18 and 13, which were damaged in the
collision on May 18, 2019, was finished. The number of LV/Cars trips during peak
hours and train km-run have increased by 50% and 41%, respectively, as a result
of the whole-line operation from Recto to Antipolo.
Table 2. Comparative Status of Trains Running 2022 VS 2021
In addition to the extra RVs and automobiles running at the pace, the
system was able to accommodate the increase in ridership. The improved
headway decreased pager wing time by up to three minutes. The increase in
service interruption in 2022 compared with 2021 was mainly due to the Line's
aging
trainsets
and
other
systems.
Table 3. Comparative Headway and Service Interruption CY 2022 VS 2021
Load Factor
In cases where compared year over year, the average load factor for 2022
was 70.2% higher than it was for 2021 (32.13%). The LRTA was permitted to
expand the maximum passenger capacity inside the train from 274 people per
train to 1,307 passengers in 2022 since Metro Manila was given the Alert Level 1
designation in March of that year. For a comfortable journey, the suggested load
factor for LRT 2 is between 44% and 65%.
Figure 1. Average Load Factor Comparative (2021 vs 2022)
National Transportation Safety Board
The entire major occurrence involving civil aviation in the United States as
well as significant occurrences involving other modes of transportation, including
railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space, are subject to
investigations by the independent federal agency known as the National
Transportation Safety Board, which was given this responsibility by Congress
(National Transportation Safety Board, 2023). As stated by Camus (2021),
lawmakers have been encouraged to complete a measure establishing an
impartial commission to look into transportation-related accidents and destroy a
long-standing system rife with conflicts of interest and other dubious practices.
The National Transportation Safety Board has bills approved in both houses of
Congress, and advocacy group Safe Travel Alliance stated in a media briefer that
the moment is "ripe for immediate passage."The Philippine Transportation Safety
Board (PTSB) would be tasked with coordinating all the actions of pertinent public
and private entities toward the common goal of ensuring transport safety, in
addition to holding regulatory, investigative, and fact-finding responsibilities,
claims Valmonte (2022). A coalition of foreign business groups supported the
passage of the measure creating the PTSB.The chair of the advocacy group
Commuters of the Philippines, Julius Dalay, stated in a paper written by Cabico
(2019) that the occurrence is a call for a stronger management structure and that
a National Transportation Safety Board should also be in existence to objectively
investigate transportation-related issues. The US NTSB is a federal organization
that looks into "every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant
accidents in other modes of transportation railroad, highway, marine, and
pipeline," according to the agency's website. In addition to conducting an
investigation, the agency issues safety recommendations to avoid repeat
incidents. The establishment of a Philippine NTSB, which will undertake
independent investigations into transportation incidents, assist safety initiatives,
and evaluate operational procedures of government agencies engaged in the
transportation sector, was supported by three Senate committees.