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!
