Manila LRT and MRT Guide: Lines, Fares and Tips

Featured image: Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Manila LRT and MRT Lines at a Glance

Visitors often call every train "the MRT". That is wrong, and it causes real mistakes at the ticket gate. LRT-1 runs 20.1 km across 25 active stations, according to the Light Rail Transit Authority. LRT-2 covers about 17.6 km with 13 stations. MRT-3 follows EDSA for 16.9 km with 13 stations. Prices and hours below were checked November 2026.

LRT-1: The Taft Avenue and Rizal Avenue Spine

LRT-1 is the north-south line. Through Manila it follows Taft Avenue and Rizal Avenue. Cavite Extension Phase 1 opened on November 16, 2024. It added 6.2 km of viaduct and five stations: Redemptorist–ASEANA, MIA Road, PITX, Ninoy Aquino and Dr. Santos. Those stations are in Parañaque, on the airport side of the city. A station name is not a terminal entrance, so plan the last leg separately. Our airport to Makati guide covers the transfer. Phase 2 into Las Piñas and Bacoor is still under construction.

LRT-2: Recto to Antipolo

LRT-2 is the east-west line. It runs from Recto in Manila through Legarda and Araneta Center-Cubao to Antipolo. The East Extension opened on July 5, 2021, bringing the line to 13 stations. End to end takes about 40 minutes, per the LRTA. Katipunan is the underground, air-conditioned station. Stations have elevators and braille tactile guidance, which helps travelers with limited mobility. Ticket vending machines let you buy a ticket without queuing at the booth.

MRT-3 Along EDSA

MRT-3 runs 16.9 km along EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay. It has 13 stations and an end-to-end ride of about 30 minutes. Visitors mostly use five stops: Ayala, Buendia, Ortigas, Araneta Center-Cubao and Taft Avenue. Ayala and Buendia serve the Makati side. Ortigas serves the business district, and Cubao is the junction with LRT-2. Fares are distance-based and use contactless cards. The unpaid concourse is public. You reach the platform only after inserting a fare ticket at the gates.

Transfers and Interchanges Between the Lines

Doroteo Jose station on LRT-1 interconnects with LRT-2 at Recto. That is the cleanest rail-to-rail change for Manila's old center. Cubao is served by both LRT-2 and MRT-3, so allow time for the street-level walk between stations. MRT-3's southern end at Taft Avenue sits close to LRT-1's Taft Avenue run. Walk the route in daylight if you carry bags. A Unified Grand Central Station is planned to connect LRT-1 with MRT-3, MRT-7 and the Metro Manila Subway. It is a planned project, so do not build an itinerary around it.

Fares, Tickets and Payment

Each line has its own system. LRT-2 replaced magnetic-stripe tickets with a contactless beep card in 2015. It also sells single-journey smart tickets at vending machines. In July 2026, LRT-2 added designated Fast Lane gates. They accept Visa and Mastercard contactless cards, mobile wallets and GCash QR codes. Not every gate takes them, so look for the Fast Lane marking. MRT-3 fares are distance-based and paid by contactless card. Peso fares differ by line and distance, so read the matrix posted at each station. Buy a card before you reach the gates.

Hours, Crowding and Best Times

MRT-3 runs from 4:30 AM on regular weekdays. The first period, 4:30 AM to 7:00 AM, has headways of 7 to 4 minutes. An extended period runs 9:31 PM to 11:40 PM, with 4 trains at 15-minute headways. On Sundays and holidays, trains run 4:30 AM to 10:40 PM at 6.5 to 7 minute intervals. On weekdays the last southbound train leaves North Avenue at 10:30 PM. The last northbound train leaves Taft Avenue at 11:09 PM. LRT-1 and LRT-2 publish their own hours, so check the operator pages before a late trip. Ride mid-morning or early afternoon if you can, and avoid carrying luggage through commuter peaks.

Which Line for Which Trip

Match the line to the destination, not the other way round. Rail is predictable when roads are jammed. A Grab ride in Manila is the better fallback with luggage or late at night. The Pasig River Ferry Guide: Status, Stations and Tips is a calmer way across the city when you are not in a hurry.

Safety, Accessibility and Etiquette

Expect bag checks at station entrances. Keep your phone and wallet in front pockets in crowded cars, as you would on any metro. Step aside for passengers leaving the car before you board. LRT-2 stations have elevators and tactile paths, and the cars have spaces for wheelchairs. Check other stations for elevator access before relying on them with a stroller or mobility aid.

Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems on the trains come from planning, not from the system itself.

• Assuming "MRT" means every line. LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3 are separate systems.
• Arriving at a gate without a card. Buy or top up before you queue.
• Riding with large luggage at commuter peaks.
• Trusting an old map. Cavite Extension Phase 1 stations opened on November 16, 2024.
• Counting on a late finish. MRT-3's last weekday departures are 10:30 PM from North Avenue and 11:09 PM from Taft Avenue.