Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and railway operator Hankyu will launch a pilot project to recover surplus electricity generated during train braking on Manila’s Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) in the Philippines. The trial is expected to begin as early as November 2026 and continue until March 2028, with the equipment projected to conserve electricity equivalent to the consumption of 2,000 households.
The system will capture electricity generated by trains during braking and redirect it to power station facilities, including lighting, air conditioning and elevators. Currently, regenerative electricity can be shared with other trains when they are nearby, but otherwise may be dissipated as heat. The technology is expected to reduce annual electricity costs for railway operations by 3 per cent by lowering energy losses and electricity purchases.
Hankyu adopted a similar power-saving system at one of its electrical substations in Japan in 2017. Sumitomo has been involved in the Philippine railway sector since 1997 and has invested in LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila since 2020, supporting operations and maintenance. Hankyu began investing in the operator in 2024. The pilot comes amid wider efforts to expand Metro Manila’s rail network, including the North-South Commuter Railway extension and a planned subway system.