MRT-8 Project

If plans don’t go awry, the east will soon meet the west in Metro Manila.

The vital link is a $1 billion rail transit system that will connect the eastern towns of Rizal to the urban centers in Metro Manila.

The provincial government of Rizal on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement with a foreign consortium for the construction of the mass transport system, Gov. Casimiro Ynares said yesterday.

American Transport Systems Corp. (ATSC) heads the consortium that offered to design and build the 20-km railway system called MRT-8 East Rail.

MRT-8 will have stations in Tanay, Taytay and Angono — all boom towns of Rizal. It will connect to stations to be built in Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue.

Details of how MRT-8 will be built and who will finance it are still under wraps, but Rizal appears bent on implementing the project.

“The province of Rizal is now ready to move forward. We are confident that the key players in the Philippines will join us in this exceptional development opportunity, amid the need for an efficient transport system and accessibility to and from Metro Manila,” Ynares said.

ATSC chairman and chief executive officer Norbert von Boode described MRT-8 as a “regional mass transit system,” addressing the traffic and accessibility problem of Metro Manila and provinces in its outskirts.

Rizal and the consortium are set to finalize the parameters for a sound legal and financial framework.

MRT-8 requires approval of the national government, through the Cabinet-level Investment Coordinating Council.

ATSC pledged to provide both railway and roadway infrastructure based on an integrated, risk sensitive investment strategy.

To be able to finance the proposed project, the province has agreed to consider the issuance of bonds and other long term securities and a revised tax structure for properties adjacent to and affected by the project.

The ATSC-led group includes Vinci Construction Grand Projects, Bombardier Transport, Invensys/Foxboro, Systra, SA, Dmjm-Harris/Maunsell (American engineering family of companies), Dubin Capital Partners, Alexander Forbes and Investec European Capital.

Maaaring may nakapansin na sa MRT-8 proposal. Hopefully masimulan ito at least after three years para makatulong ng malaki sa mga taga-Rizal, Pasig, Mandaluyong at Maynila. Kahit hanggang Tikling lang makakatulong na talaga ito sa mga pasahero. :cheers:

MRT-8 has been planned for quite a while, actually. I just hope it follows the original alignment (Ortigas-Shaw, starting at V. Mapa/Santa Mesa and ending at Cainta for Phase 1, and at Santa Cruz, Laguna for Phase 2).

Wow! malapit na sa amin! MRT 8 Phase 1 - 2017. Phase 2- 2020! Wishful thinking!

Wow! Another line! Sana sabay-sabay matapos ang line 7, 8 at south extension. Aprubahan na agad yan!