Balintawak, Roosevelt Stations to re-open on April 11
Ref.:
Atty. Hernando T. Cabrera
LRTA-MRT3
Spokesperson
Mobile: 0920-970-3772
Evelyn E. Paragas
Manager, Public Relations
Division
Tel: 854-0452/5066129
853-0041 to 60 loc. 8940
Mobile: 0917-872-5631
The Light Rail
Transit (LRT) Authority management assured the riding public that Balintawak
and Roosevelt Stations will be fully operational by Monday (April 11, 2011).
LRTA
Administrator Rafael S. Rodriguez said the two stations are now ready to
service the public after almost two months of thorough evaluation and
enhancement of its operational procedures and safety requirements.
"We allotted
ample time for the refresher and re-training of all train operators in Line
1, and re-orientation on safety driving policy to keep them from figuring in
rail-related accidents,"
Rodriguez clarified, after the temporary suspension of operations in the
said stations.
He stressed:
"We want to guarantee that our drivers can safely ferry our passengers to
their destinations."
Further,
functional testing, safety inspection and re-evaluation of the system were
undertaken last February and March after the 18 February 2011 Roosevelt
incident, he added.
Upon the
directive of Rodriguez, the management instituted additional safety measures
to prevent similar or related incident in the future. These cover the
modification of virtual switch which provides additional safety mechanism in
the operations of trains and placement of train inspectors and dispatchers,
who shall oversee the train movements from Monumento to the reversing site
at Roosevelt Station.
The two
stations are part of the North Extension Project that will link LRT-1 and
MRT-3 through a common station which is expected to be completed next year.