Malling in transport hubs is something that air travelers are quite familiar with. Frequent flyers typically identify airports with duty free shops that offer designer clothing, luxury accessories and beauty products. There are also a great selection of restaurants, coffee shops and stores selling gifts and souvenir items to make the stopover experience complete, if not memorable.
Soon, the Marikina Station of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) will provide a similar experience as it will become more than just a major train hub. Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), this week, signed a memorandum of agreement with the Light Rail Transport Authority to incorporate the terminal to The Link, an expansion of Robinsons Metro East mall located along Marcos Highway in Pasig City.
The Link will not only provide a seamless connection to the Marikina Station as the 4,000 sqm project is set to showcase a diverse selection of food establishments as well as entertainment options including Robinsons Movieworld, Jollyland (the biggest in the eastern portion of Metro Manila), Lazer Maxx and Tom’s World. Travelers and shoppers alike would also be able to visit stores like No Brand, Levis, Ncat, Toby’s, ToysRUs and of course, Robinsons Department Store.
Attending the MOA signing ceremony were LRTA Administrator Atty. Hernando T. Cabrera, LRTA Project Manager Engr. John Dexter Buenconsejo, DOTR for Railways Asec. Jorgette B. Aquino, RLC VP-Operations & Marketing Joel S. Lumanlan, RLC Operations Director for NCR Myron Lawrence T. Yao, and RLC Senior Legal Director Atty. Ronald Agustin R. Estrada.
The stakeholders believe that with the large number of people moving through the station on a daily basis, shops, retail outlets, restaurants and entertainment hubs would benefit from The Link.
The Link is envisioned to provide commuters with seamless access to various parts of Metro Manila by connecting to both the MRT and LRT1 with the former traversing Edsa, and then Taft Avenue for the latter. These routes will ensure students, workers and professionals convenient transportation anywhere in Metro Manila. Residents and students coming from Pasig and Rizal province will surely benefit from The Link’s accessibility when going to Manila since the rail line has stopovers in Recto, V. Mapa, Legarda, and Pureza. And if they’re headed to Quezon City, they can choose to stop at the station of their choice, either in Gilmore, Betty Go, or Cubao.
In addition to the shopping and dining options, Robinsons Metro East elevates customer experience with an array of guest services. These include a free use of kiddie carts, pet strollers, foosball and table tennis tables, and more. The Link eliminates the need for commuters to leave the train station by going down to the street and then walking long distances to be able to purchase something.
For those with cars, they could just park their vehicles at the mall and take advantage of the rail services to not only save time, energy, and resources but also contribute to reducing road congestion and carbon emissions.
Moreover, Robinsons Metro East also houses the Pasig City Hall Annex where Pasig residents from Barangays Dela Paz, Manggahan, and Santolan can avail themselves of services such as business registration, tax assessment and payment, and regulatory permit application.
The LRTA assures that passengers will enjoy safe, smooth and efficient travel, thanks to the new LRT trains, punctual train arrivals, and systematic payment counters.
