LRTA 13000 class

Purchase

To prepare for the construction of the south extension of the LRT Line 1 to Cavite, new trains were needed to meet the growing demand. As such, on October 16, 2015, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) called for bids for the purchase of 120 light rail vehicles, configurable to thirty four-car trainsets, with Japanese companies only allowed to participate in the tender, In February, DOTC identified Marubeni and Sumitomo Corporation as prospective bidders. However, in April, the DOTC announced a failed bidding as none of them submitted proposals.

On December 28, 2016, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), called for bids again. Two bidders showed up: Marubeni with Hyundai Rotem, and Mitsubishi Corporation with Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). The latter won the ₱14.1 billion contract on November 19, 2017, and the contract was signed on December 1. These trains are expected to gradually replace the aging 1000 class which has been in use since the opening of the line in 1984 and has undergone three refurbishments.

Mitsubishi implemented the contract and supplied the trains while CAF manufactured the trains. The new trains were funded by Japan's official development assistance.

Production and commissioning

Officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) unveiled a full-scale mock-up model of the 13000 class train on May 7, 2019.

The first two sets (8 cars) were initially planned to be delivered in July 2020, however the delivery of the train sets were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On January 18, 2021, the first batch of deliveries, consisting of the first trainset (4 cars consisting of two articulated cars each) arrived at the Port of Manila. These were unveiled to the public the following January 26. This trainset was then transported to Baclaran Depot in February.

The first trainset underwent static tests at the depot on September 15, 2021, followed by dynamic tests along the mainline on September 25. The trains then underwent 1,000-kilometer test runs conducted by the Light Rail Manila Corporation on May 4, 2022. Initially expected to enter in-service operations by the end of the month, the initial deadline was not met.


On July 19, 2023, the trains were inaugurated by President Bongbong Marcos. The first train set entered revenue service the next day. More trainsets from the 13000 class are expected to be incrementally entered into service, with one additional train set every week until every trainset enters service. All trains are expected to enter service by the fourth quarter of 2024, once the Cavite extension phase 1 is opened. As of December 23, 2024, 23 trainsets have been deployed for revenue service.

Water leaks

A few months before the trains entered service, Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez disclosed on February 16, 2023, that water leaks were found in eighty LRVs that were delivered to the Philippines. He further disclosed that as a result, these could not be used in mainline operations, and the government suspended payments to Mitsubishi and CAF in July 2022.

Chavez admitted that as a result of travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, the DOTr was unable to send inspection teams to inspect the trains for any defects, while these were still undergoing factory acceptance tests. These defects were later fixed through a comprehensive roof rectification plan.

The train car body is made of stainless steel. Each vehicle has four pocket doors per side. Initially, the trains were to sport a silver-yellow livery, but was changed to crimson and silver after the mock-up model was unveiled in 2019. The trains also feature LED destination panels, like the 1200 class.

Car body

The train car body is made of stainless steel. Each vehicle has four pocket doors per side. Initially, the trains were to sport a silver-yellow livery, but was changed to crimson and silver after the mock-up model was unveiled in 2019. The trains also feature LED destination panels, like the 1200 class.

Front cab variations

The fourth-generation trains vary in two frame colors. The first two sets (Trainsets 1 & 2), built in Spain, have a red-painted "forehead" above the windshield and LED sign, while sets 3 to 30, built in Mexico, received a black "forehead".

Some train sets has varying signage data as well; train sets that arrived and/or were certified prior to the renaming of Roosevelt station to Fernando Poe Jr. station retained its destination signage. Later train sets feature the correct destination name which is noted to scroll instead of being static. All train sets had its signage data been updated in preparation for opening of the Cavite Extension Phase 1.

Interior

As opposed to the older rolling stock, the 13000 class includes hand straps aside from safety handrails installed above the train floor.

The trains are also the first in the Philippines to feature a specially-made wheelchair-compatible space or passenger with restricted mobility areas, located closer to the driver's cab as compared to the 1100 class and 1200 class where it is located near the articulation. Unlike the 1200 class, there are also fewer side handrails in the middle sections of each vehicle. Longitudinal seating is present in the 13000 class, as per other train classes in the system.

Like the 1100 class and 1200 class, there are four pocket-type doors per side per car. For the driving cars, one door is installed on the side of the driving cab.

Electrical and mechanical

Each LRV has three inside-frame bogies consisting of two motorized bogies at the ends and a Jacobs trailer bogie under the articulation. Semi-permanent couplers are installed at the ends of every light rail vehicle, except for the driving cab section of the head car.

These trains are easily recognizable by their distinctive braking sounds, which produce a screeching noise when stopping. This trait was not present in earlier train class sets, even when they were first introduced.

Like the 1100 class and 1200 class, each LRV consists of four 105-kilowatt 3-phase AC induction motors, driven by variable-voltage/variable-frequency drive (VVVF) inverters with insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT). Auxiliary power is sourced from a static inverter, a low-power DC voltage supply, and batteries.

Signaling and control systems

The trains are equipped with the automatic train protection (ATP) system. Alstom was awarded the signaling and communications contract for the south extension of the LRT Line 1 in 2016. The contractual scope included the upgrading of the signaling system and the installation of the Atlas 100 on-board signaling solution for 60 train sets across the existing three generations of trains and the 13000 class trains.

The trains are also equipped with a Train Control and Monitoring System (TCMS).

The configuration of a four-car trainset is Mc–M–M–Mc. Mc denotes a driving car while M denotes an intermediate car.

Car type		Mc		M
		A	B	A	B
Quantity		2		2
Control cab		Yes	No	No	No
VVVF inverter		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auxiliary inverter		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pantograph		Yes	No	Yes	No
Wheelchair spaces		Yes	No	Yes	No
Car length		26.35 m		26.5 m
Capacity	Seated	66		68
	Standing	272		286
	Wheelchair spaces	2		2
	Total	340		356

Legend

In service

Set no.	1	2	3	4	Manufactured in	Service started on
1	13001	13002	13003	13004	Spain	September 1, 2023
2	13005	13006	13007	13008		August 30, 2023
3	13009	13010	13011	13012	Mexico	October 13, 2023
4	13013	13014	13015	13016	Mexico	December 22, 2024
5	13017	13018	13019	13020	Mexico	September 25, 2023
6	13021	13022	13023	13024	Mexico	September 26, 2023
7	13025	13026	13027	13028	Mexico	July 20, 2023
8	13029	13030	13031	13032	Mexico	October 13, 2023
9	13033	13034	13035	13036	Mexico	December 20, 2024
10	13037	13038	13039	13040	Mexico
11	13041	13042	13043	13044	Mexico	February 23, 2024
12	13045	13046	13047	13048	Mexico	October 28, 2023
13	13049	13050	13051	13052	Mexico	September 1, 2023
14	13053	13054	13055	13056	Mexico	February 27, 2024
15	13057	13058	13059	13060	Mexico	September 15, 2023
16	13061	13062	13063	13064	Mexico	November 11, 2023
17	13065	13066	13067	13068	Mexico	November 11, 2023
18	13069	13070	13071	13072	Mexico	November 28, 2023
19	13073	13074	13075	13076	Mexico	November 28, 2023
20	13077	13078	13079	13080	Mexico	January 17, 2024
21	13081	13082	13083	13084	Mexico	December 13, 2023
22	13085	13086	13087	13088	Mexico	December 28, 2023
23	13089	13090	13091	13092	Mexico	December 20, 2024
24	13093	13094	13095	13096	Mexico
25	13097	13098	13099	13100	Mexico
26	13101	13102	13103	13104	Mexico
27	13105	13106	13107	13108	Mexico
28	13109	13110	13111	13112	Mexico
29	13113	13114	13115	13116	Mexico
30	13117	13118	13119	13120	Mexico

• On September 17, 2023, at 2:41 PM, a 4th generation trainset encountered a catenary fault issue at Balintawak station southbound, causing partial disruptions between Baclaran and Monumento stations. Full operations were restored the next day.

1. ^ Length with anti-climbers/couplers. Without the anti-climbers and couplers, the car length is 26 meters

LRTA 1000 class
LRTA 1100 class
LRTA 1200 class
LRTA 13000 class