MANILA -- Light Rail Manila, the LRT-1 operator, said Thursday it tapped First Balfour and MRail Inc for a P650-million rehabilitation project.

The 2-year initiative requires the replacement of power substation equipment and the upgrade of fire detection and suppression systems, LRMC said in a statement.

"As they power our trains, the substations are absolutely critical to providing reliable electricity supply and efficient operations of trains," said LRMC president and CEO Juan Alfonso.

The power project is part of an ongoing renovation of the LRT-1 line, which stretches from Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Baclaran in Paranaque City, LRMC said.

With the upgrades, LRMC said it raised the number of trains to 112 from 77 over 3 years, helping bring monthly ridership to a record 14 million last August, the train operator said.