LRTA 1100 class
| Company type | Light rail vehicles |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Metro Manila , Philippines |
| Products | Light rail vehicles |
The LRTA 1100 class represents the second generation of high-floor light rail vehicles operating on LRT Line 1.
Acquired in 1996 through Japanese official development assistance (ODA) loans aimed at boosting capacity, these trains commenced operations in 1999. Over time, numerous units were taken out of service because of difficulties obtaining spare parts. Between 2019 and 2020, the entire fleet underwent refurbishment and re-engineering by Voith, resulting in improved reliability and performance.
Background and acquisition
By 1990, Metro Manila's LRT Line 1 had reached its maximum capacity, leading to a ₱4.1 billion expansion project initiated in 1994. This project was a key program under President Fidel V. Ramos. Originally, plans called for 32 additional cars built to the 1000 class specifications to lengthen existing two-car sets into three-car formations. However, increasing passenger demand prompted a shift to four-car train configurations instead.
In February 1996, four consortia submitted bids: Marubeni Corporation-Adtranz-ABB, GEC Alsthom (now Alstom), Mitsui-Siemens, and Mitsubishi Corporation-CAF. The contract was awarded in August 1996 to the Marubeni-Adtranz-ABB consortium, with Hyundai Precision contracted in October to manufacture 28 cars (7 train sets) between 1997 and 1998—marking their initial venture into light rail vehicle production. Subsequently, Mitsubishi and CAF produced the fourth-generation train sets for the Cavite Extension Project.
Deployment and subsequent challenges
The 1100 series LRVs were delivered and underwent testing in 1999, an event attended by former President Joseph Estrada and Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. These new trains raised the line’s capacity by half, increasing hourly passenger throughput per direction from 18,000 to 27,000.
Following 2001, many units experienced operational and maintenance setbacks that led to their withdrawal from service. Despite spare parts shipments in 2004, by 2013 fourteen cars remained non-operational due to parts scarcity; this included two vehicles involved in accidents. Since most components—such as brake parts—were exclusively sourced from Adtranz, procurement became complicated after Adtranz was acquired by Bombardier Transportation in 2001 (which itself was later acquired by Alstom in 2021). Furthermore, only about one-fifth of parts were interchangeable between the 1200 class and the 1100 class.
Up until 2020, these trainsets operated as "skip trains," serving selected stations during peak periods to better handle passenger congestion.
On December 19, 2023, a trainset from the 1100 class was utilized for the inaugural test run of LRT Line 1's Cavite Extension Phase 1. The Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) highlighted the wide car body design as advantageous for evaluating compatibility with station platforms and related infrastructure.
Refurbishment
Starting in February 2018, LRMC initiated refurbishment efforts on these second-generation trains to reactivate sidelined units and expand Line 1’s capacity. In partnership with Voith, upgrades included modernization of control systems, traction equipment, and installation of automatic diagnostic displays. Between 2019 and 2020, six out of seven train sets were restored to operational status with prolonged service life. The last set remains stationed at Santolan Depot due to ongoing expansion work at the Line 1 depot facility.
Design
The 1100 class represents the inaugural 6-axle (3-bogie) light rail vehicles composed of two articulated car units operating on Line 1, succeeding the previous generation of 8-axle (4-bogie), three-section 1000 class trains.
Car body
Built from stainless steel, these trains showcase a silver exterior accented with blue and yellow cheatlines. Each LRV is equipped with four sliding pocket doors on each side and offers a wider profile compared to the LRTA 1000 class. This design later influenced Hyundai Rotem’s LRVs deployed in systems such as the Adana Metro and Istanbul’s Line T4.
Two roof-mounted air-conditioning units are installed per LRV, amounting to eight units for a full four-car set.
Interior
Inside, seating is arranged longitudinally, with designated spaces for wheelchair users positioned near the articulated joints of the intermediate cars.
Electrical
These 1100 class LRVs are the first on Line 1 to incorporate propulsion systems governed by variable-voltage/variable frequency drive (VVVF) inverters utilizing insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) technology. Each pair of inverters powers four enclosed-type induction motors running on 3-phase AC. Initially, electrical components were supplied by Adtranz, but these were subsequently replaced by units from Voith. Following refurbishment, the trains employ two Voith EmCon I1000-9AU traction inverters delivering 350 kilovolt-amperes continuous power each, alongside two auxiliary static inverters and a VPort IO control module.
Prior to refurbishment, the trains produced a distinctive high-frequency acceleration noise characteristic of the original Adtranz VVVF controllers. After upgrades, their traction sound aligns with that of the MRTC 3100 class vehicles, now using Voith traction controllers.
Mechanical
Each LRV rides on three outside-frame bogies: motorized bogies located at both ends and a trailer bogie situated beneath the articulation. Unlike standard trains with shorter bogie wheelbases, the extended wheelbase of the 1100 class restricts access to certain tracks within Baclaran Depot. The primary suspension system employs chevron rubber springs, while secondary suspension utilizes air springs similar to those found on the LRTA 1200 class. Semi-permanent couplers connect all cars except for the driving cab section of the MC car.
Train formation
The four-car trainsets are arranged in an Mc–M–M–Mc sequence, where Mc indicates a driving cab car and M represents an intermediate car.
| Car type | Mc | M | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-car | B-car | A-car | B-car | ||
| Quantity | 2 | 2 | |||
| Control cab | Template:Ya | Template:Na | Template:Na | Template:Na | |
| VVVF inverter | Template:Ya | Template:Ya | Template:Ya | Template:Ya | |
| Auxiliary inverter | Template:Ya | Template:Ya | Template:Ya | Template:Ya | |
| Pantograph | Template:Ya | Template:Na | Template:Ya | Template:Na | |
| Car length | m | 26.35 | 26.5 | ||
| ft in | 86 ft 5+13⁄32 in | 86 ft 11+5⁄16 in | |||
| Capacity | Seated | 78 | 82 | ||
| Standing | 252 | 267 | |||
| Total | 330 | 349 | |||
Incidents
- A collision occurred between two 1100 series trains, LRVs 1107 and 1120, at Baclaran Depot. LRV 1120 underwent repairs and refurbishment in 2019.
- On November 27, 2017, a door malfunction took place on a 1100 series train at Vito Cruz station after a passenger forcibly opened it, causing the sensor system to fail. The train proceeded with the door remaining open, an event that was recorded on video.
- On April 19, 2023, a 1100 series train came to a halt between Roosevelt and Balintawak stations. It was then coupled with a 1000 series train and moved back to Baclaran Depot.
- A derailment involving a 1100 series train occurred near Baclaran Station on August 24, 2023. The incident necessitated track repairs and removal operations that lasted the entire day. Temporary services ran between Fernando Poe Jr. and Gil Puyat stations until August 27. Repairs were finalized ahead of schedule by August 26, enabling the resumption of normal service.
See also
Sources
- Department of Transportation and Communications, Light Rail Transit Authority. MANILA LRT1 EXTENSION, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PROJECT, June 4, 2012.
- Japan International Cooperation Agency et al. Study on railway strategy for enhancement of railway network system in Metro Manila: Final report, Vol.1-LRT Line 1: Cavite extension project, July 2013.
- Japan International Cooperation Agency. Metro Manila LRT Line 1 Capacity Expansion Project, 2004.
- Korea Railroad 100 Years Compilation Committee. Korea Railroad 100–Year History, Railway Vehicle Technology Review Team, Korea, 1999.
- Japan International Cooperation Agency. Ex-Post Monitoring Report of Japanese ODA Loan Projects 2009 (Philippines), October 2010.
- Light Rail Transit Authority. PROCUREMENT PLAN 2006 LRV ROLLING STOCK MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL SPARE PARTS IMPORTED ITEMS, 2006.
- Light Rail Transit Authority. PROCUREMENT PLAN 2007 LRV ROLLING STOCK MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL SPARE PARTS IMPORTED ITEMS, 2006.
- Bombardier Transportation. FLEXX Metro Bogies - The pulse of cities, 2020.