The Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT2) West Extension project — which aims to add three more stations to the existing alignment for better connectivity in the metro —- is facing delays primarily due to insufficient funding.

In a recent interview, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Hernando Cabrera explained that while P2 billion has been secured, only a portion of that amount has been allocated for consulting and preliminary works.

The remaining funds needed for the full construction have yet to be secured.

“We were given P2 billion — enough for consulting and preliminary works — but the remaining balance is not yet provided to us,” Cabrera said.

The West Extension project seeks to extend the LRT2 line further into western areas, but with current funding gaps, Cabrera noted that construction timelines remain uncertain.

To date, the regulators can only focus on preliminary activities such as acquiring right-of-way (RoW) and relocating utilities like Meralco and Maynilad.

“We are concentrating on these because there are many areas that we will pass through, and informal settlers will be affected, especially those near the Philippine Ports Authority,” Cabrera said.

The West Extension project aims to add three more stations from Recto — Tutuban, Divisoria and Pier 4.

To expedite the process, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is also open to completing the project through a public-private partnership scheme, in light of plans to privatize the railway’s operations and maintenance in the future.