Stations in Tutuban, Divisoria, and Pier 4 will be built under the LRT-2 West Extension Project. Handout

Stations in Tutuban, Divisoria, and Pier 4 will be built under the LRT-2 West Extension Project. Handout

Stations in Tutuban, Divisoria, and Pier 4 will be built under the LRT-2 West Extension Project. Handout

Stations in Tutuban, Divisoria, and Pier 4 will be built under the LRT-2 West Extension Project. Handout

MANILA -- The LRT-2 will soon have 3 more stations as it extends westward towards Manila's shopping district, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said Sunday.

This amid the train line's current partial operations servicing passengers between Cubao and Recto stations. The LRT-2 was shut down earlier after a fire damaged a section of the train system between the Anonas and Katipunan stations.

• Free morning rides for students on LRT-2 to resume Monday

Stations in Tutuban, Divisoria, and Pier 4 will be built under the P10.1-billion LRT-2 West Extension Project that is aimed to be completed by 2023, the LRTA said in a statement.

It will take commuters only 5 minutes to travel from Recto Station to Pier 4, the LRTA said, while the travel time between Masinag and Pier 4 will not exceed an hour.

The project will add 16,000 more LRT-2 passengers to the current 240,000 passengers daily, according to the LRTA.

“The increase in commuters who will benefit from the extension project translates to the reduction of commuters not using Metro Manila’s congested streets," LRTA administrator Reynaldo Berroya said.

The LRTA said it tapped WESTRAX Joint Venture to assist in the bidding process for contractors. Project procurement is expected to start by January next year.