Starting April 2, fares for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) will increase following approval from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
According to the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), which operates the LRT-1, the new boarding fare will be set at P16.25, with an additional P1.47 per kilometer. Currently, the rates stand at P13.29 for boarding and P1.29 per kilometer for distance fare.
With the fare adjustment, the minimum fare for a single-journey ticket will rise to P20 from P15, while an end-to-end trip will cost P55 instead of P45.
DOTr Railways Undersecretary Jeremy Regino instructed LRMC to publish the approved fare adjustments in a newspaper of general circulation for three consecutive weeks before implementation.
The fare hike follows multiple deferred adjustments requested by LRMC in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022, which resulted in a P2.17 billion fare deficit as of November 2024. LRMC President and CEO Enrico Benipayo said the increase aims to cover these losses and sustain necessary improvements in LRT-1 operations.
If no further fare hikes are approved until 2028, LRMC projects the deficit could reach P7 billion.
The LRT-1 spans 26 kilometers with 25 stations, running from Dr. Santos to Monumento and extending east-to-west from Monumento to Fernando Poe Jr. Station.
