NLEX Corp., the concessionaire for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), is gearing up to finish a number of big-ticket projects this year following completion of more than 20 projects in 2018.
“Continuous improvement, whether in infrastructure or service, has been and will always be our focus. 2019 will be even better for everyone as big-ticket projects are set for completion this year,” Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president and CEO Rodrigo Franco said.
Among the projects eyed for completion this year are the additional toll lanes in San Fernando, Mexico and Angeles; the expanded connecting ramps of NLEX-SCTEX, the new NLEX drive and dine service facility; and the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, an elevated expressway that is designed to provide direct access between the Manila Port and the northern provinces of Luzon via NLEX.
The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is slated to open this month after its scheduled opening in December did not push through.
Last year, NLEX completed more than 20 projects in both NLEX and SCTEX which were aimed at decongesting traffic and enhancing services to motorists.
“2018 was a productive year for us as we were able to build more roads that helped us provide travel convenience and establish stronger relationships with our stakeholders,” Franco said.
Franco said among the notable projects the company wrapped up last year were the new Mabiga Interchange, Sta. Ines-Magalang Exit, and the additional lane in San Fernando Northbound Exit.
NLEX has made the Mabiga into a full diamond interchange by building new access ramps with entry and exit toll plazas and constructed the Sta.Ines-Magalang Exit to provide direct access to local roads in Magalang, Pampanga.
It also added one lane at the San Fernando Northbound Exit which has since prevented traffic bottlenecks especially during rush hours.
A new pedestrian and tricycle overpass in Mapulang Lupa was also built to ease mounting traffic issues at Valenzuela Interchange and improve mobility of commuters coming to and from barangays Paso de Blas and Mapulang Lupa.
The Mindanao Avenue, which has grown to be a busy thoroughfare and has provided motorists a convenient alternative entry and exit to NLEX, was equipped with three new traffic lights to accommodate left-turning vehicles from NLEX going to Valenzuela and provide safer travel to those bound for the service roads, especially during nighttime.
MPTC, the tollways arm of MPIC, is the holding company of NLEX and SCTEX.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/01/24/1887555/nlex-set-roll-out-more-big-ticket-projects-year
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
NSCR breaks ground next month
Phase 1 of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project should finally break ground in February, about a year since Japan and the Philippines first agreed on pursuing the program as part of the ambitious infrastructure buildup program of the government.
Its implementing agency, the Department of Transportation (DoTr), previously obtained committed funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and involves extending the rail line of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) from the Tutuban Station in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan and all the way to the airport at Clark.
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said the first phase of the railway extension project should begin next month.
“Phase 1 is going to start construction in February. That’s for the initial 38 kilometers from Tutuban to Malolos. For the extension to the North, we are starting our procurement already,” Batan told reporters.
According to him, the once problematic infrastructure program is “90 percent free and clear of right of way” problems.
“So, we are going straight to mobilization by February. The remaining 10 percent are just the fringes so full-scale construction will begin,” he added.
“Partial operability by 2022 will cover the entire segment from Clark airport all the way to Blumentritt station in the South. That’s the interchange station with LRT 1 and by second quarter of 2023, full operations will be in place all the way to Los Banos,” Batan said.
PNR General Manager Jun Magno said they will begin commissioning by December 2021, noting that some rail activity should be visible by that time.
“Right now, we are concentrating on the National Capital Region. PNR has alignments from Cabanatuan to Balagtas (Bulacan) so we asked the National Economic and Development Authority to conduct a feasibility study for the Cabanatuan to Makati line,” Magno said.
“We asked them to conduct two studies. One is Cabanatuan to Bulacan and the San Jose, Nueva Ecija to Tarlac connecting to NCR and possibly a feasibility study of the Cagayan tunnel,” he added.
Batan said the line is projected to accommodate around 350,000 passengers per day by 2022 and some 1.1 million passengers after the project is completed.
Magno also said the two mainlines of the PNR extension project can accommodate one million passengers each.
“Each mainline can accommodate 1 million each per day towards Metro Manila. That is our first Metro-grade train system. This is the first one that we’ll have with a much greater [passenger] capacity,” he said.
http://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2019/01/23/nscr-breaks-ground-next-month/
Its implementing agency, the Department of Transportation (DoTr), previously obtained committed funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and involves extending the rail line of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) from the Tutuban Station in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan and all the way to the airport at Clark.
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said the first phase of the railway extension project should begin next month.
“Phase 1 is going to start construction in February. That’s for the initial 38 kilometers from Tutuban to Malolos. For the extension to the North, we are starting our procurement already,” Batan told reporters.
According to him, the once problematic infrastructure program is “90 percent free and clear of right of way” problems.
“So, we are going straight to mobilization by February. The remaining 10 percent are just the fringes so full-scale construction will begin,” he added.
“Partial operability by 2022 will cover the entire segment from Clark airport all the way to Blumentritt station in the South. That’s the interchange station with LRT 1 and by second quarter of 2023, full operations will be in place all the way to Los Banos,” Batan said.
PNR General Manager Jun Magno said they will begin commissioning by December 2021, noting that some rail activity should be visible by that time.
“Right now, we are concentrating on the National Capital Region. PNR has alignments from Cabanatuan to Balagtas (Bulacan) so we asked the National Economic and Development Authority to conduct a feasibility study for the Cabanatuan to Makati line,” Magno said.
“We asked them to conduct two studies. One is Cabanatuan to Bulacan and the San Jose, Nueva Ecija to Tarlac connecting to NCR and possibly a feasibility study of the Cagayan tunnel,” he added.
Batan said the line is projected to accommodate around 350,000 passengers per day by 2022 and some 1.1 million passengers after the project is completed.
Magno also said the two mainlines of the PNR extension project can accommodate one million passengers each.
“Each mainline can accommodate 1 million each per day towards Metro Manila. That is our first Metro-grade train system. This is the first one that we’ll have with a much greater [passenger] capacity,” he said.
http://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2019/01/23/nscr-breaks-ground-next-month/
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Philippines, Japan sign $1.54-billion loan deal on North-South Railway
The North-South Commuter Railway project will 'seamlessly' connect Philippine National Railways lines in Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna
The governments of Philippines and Japan signed an P80.47-billion ($1.54-billion) loan agreement on the 109-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) extension project, the biggest project so far under the infrastructure program "Build, Build, Build."
On Monday, January 21, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Director General Shigenori Ogawa signed the first tranche of the multibillion-peso loan deal at the Department of Finance.
The total cost of the project amounted to P628.42 billion ($12.03 billion). JICA and the Asian Development Bank will finance the total loan financing requirement at P488 billion ($9.34 billion).
The signing was witnessed by Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Railways Undersecretary Timothy John Batan, and embassy of Japan Minister Atsushi Kuwabara.
Dominguez said on Monday that the economic benefits of improved mobility once the railway service is completed "will translate into many times over the cost of the project."
"This commuter rail service ought to have been built many years ago. This might have spared our harried commuters all the grief they bear now," Dominguez said.
"But previous governments did not have the fiscal space, did not have the enthusiasm of our international development partners and, most important, did not have the unyielding political will we benefit from today," he added.
Dominguez said that the NSCR project has the "fastest loan processing time" in the history of the Philippines-Japan cooperation.
In November 2018, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) approved the changes in scope of the 147-kilometer railway system, which included a 76% increase from the previous total costing estimate of P440.88 billion.
The increase in costing was due to a shift in engineering design, increase in the number of trains, and added costs that will cover resettlement activities for the 12,901 informal settler families.
The loan has a maturity period of 40 years, with a 12-year grace period. Non-consulting services under the agreement have an interest rate of 10 basis points per annum, and 1 basis point per annum for consulting services.
This is the second railway loan deal with Japan under the Duterte administration. JICA will also be financing the P18-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) rehabilitation.
Seamless commute
The railway will "seamlessly" integrate the Philippine National Railways (PNR) lines from Central Luzon to Calabarzon:
The 38-kilometer PNR Clark 1 from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan
The 58-kilometer PNR Clark 2 from Malolos, Bulacan to Clark International Airport, Pampanga
The 72-kilometer PNR Calamba running from Solis Street in Tondo, Manila to Los Banos, Laguna
The extension project covers PNR Clark 2 and PNR Calamba lines. Previously, the government had inked a $2.37-billion loan from Japan for the PNR Clark 1 deal in November 2015.
The railway system will also link existing railway lines – Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2, the MRT3, and the upcoming Metro Manila Subway.
Batan said that the NSCR "is more than just another railway," with less travel time from the provinces to Metro Manila.
"The NSCR is more than just another railway project, as it promises to deliver a new way of life to the millions of Filipinos that it will benefit," Batan said.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expects to have a ridership of 340,000 passengers a day when it partially operates in 2022. By 2023, DOTr expects a ridership of 550,000 passengers when it becomes fully operational.
Initially, the NSCR project was planned to be under a public-private partnership under the Aquino government.
The Duterte administration had called off the auction in 2016.
https://www.rappler.com/business/221610-philippines-japan-sign-loan-deal-north-south-railway
The governments of Philippines and Japan signed an P80.47-billion ($1.54-billion) loan agreement on the 109-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) extension project, the biggest project so far under the infrastructure program "Build, Build, Build."
On Monday, January 21, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Director General Shigenori Ogawa signed the first tranche of the multibillion-peso loan deal at the Department of Finance.
The total cost of the project amounted to P628.42 billion ($12.03 billion). JICA and the Asian Development Bank will finance the total loan financing requirement at P488 billion ($9.34 billion).
The signing was witnessed by Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Railways Undersecretary Timothy John Batan, and embassy of Japan Minister Atsushi Kuwabara.
Dominguez said on Monday that the economic benefits of improved mobility once the railway service is completed "will translate into many times over the cost of the project."
"This commuter rail service ought to have been built many years ago. This might have spared our harried commuters all the grief they bear now," Dominguez said.
"But previous governments did not have the fiscal space, did not have the enthusiasm of our international development partners and, most important, did not have the unyielding political will we benefit from today," he added.
Dominguez said that the NSCR project has the "fastest loan processing time" in the history of the Philippines-Japan cooperation.
In November 2018, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) approved the changes in scope of the 147-kilometer railway system, which included a 76% increase from the previous total costing estimate of P440.88 billion.
The increase in costing was due to a shift in engineering design, increase in the number of trains, and added costs that will cover resettlement activities for the 12,901 informal settler families.
The loan has a maturity period of 40 years, with a 12-year grace period. Non-consulting services under the agreement have an interest rate of 10 basis points per annum, and 1 basis point per annum for consulting services.
This is the second railway loan deal with Japan under the Duterte administration. JICA will also be financing the P18-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) rehabilitation.
Seamless commute
The railway will "seamlessly" integrate the Philippine National Railways (PNR) lines from Central Luzon to Calabarzon:
The 38-kilometer PNR Clark 1 from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan
The 58-kilometer PNR Clark 2 from Malolos, Bulacan to Clark International Airport, Pampanga
The 72-kilometer PNR Calamba running from Solis Street in Tondo, Manila to Los Banos, Laguna
The extension project covers PNR Clark 2 and PNR Calamba lines. Previously, the government had inked a $2.37-billion loan from Japan for the PNR Clark 1 deal in November 2015.
The railway system will also link existing railway lines – Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2, the MRT3, and the upcoming Metro Manila Subway.
Batan said that the NSCR "is more than just another railway," with less travel time from the provinces to Metro Manila.
"The NSCR is more than just another railway project, as it promises to deliver a new way of life to the millions of Filipinos that it will benefit," Batan said.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expects to have a ridership of 340,000 passengers a day when it partially operates in 2022. By 2023, DOTr expects a ridership of 550,000 passengers when it becomes fully operational.
Initially, the NSCR project was planned to be under a public-private partnership under the Aquino government.
The Duterte administration had called off the auction in 2016.
https://www.rappler.com/business/221610-philippines-japan-sign-loan-deal-north-south-railway
House panel questions route of Metro Manila Subway
A House panel is summoning the inter-agency committee that decided the route of the Metro Manila Subway, saying the chosen route was the costliest of three options.
The House Committee on Metro Manila Development said officials of the committee must explain why the Katipunan route was chosen despite being the "most expensive" and "most problematic" among the 3 routes studied for the project.
Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice pointed out that based on submissions of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Katipunan route requires a budget of P218 billion compared to P208 billion for the EDSA route and P211 billion for the Greenhills San Juan route.
The lawmaker also said the Katipunan route will affect more residential areas and require more space compared to the 2 other options.
“Mas malaki ang magagambala sa Katipunan, mas mahal, mas malaki (area required) sa Katipunan… mas malaki environmental impact, mas maraming tao maaapektuhan, mas mahal, pero mas pinili n’yo pa din ang Katipunan,” Erice said in a hearing, addressing DOTr Undersecretary for Railways, Atty. Timothy John Batan.
But Batan said the decision was based on the criteria set for the project, alongside the instruction guidelines by a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) design team.
The inter-agency committee is composed of the secretaries of DOTr, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Economic and Development Authority, and the head of the Metro Manila Development Authority, among others.
The first phase will connect Mindanao Avenue to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), with 3 stations set to be operational by 2022, the Department of Finance earlier said. The central zone with 13 stations is expected to be operational by 2025.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/21/19/house-panel-questions-route-of-metro-manila-subway
The House Committee on Metro Manila Development said officials of the committee must explain why the Katipunan route was chosen despite being the "most expensive" and "most problematic" among the 3 routes studied for the project.
Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice pointed out that based on submissions of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Katipunan route requires a budget of P218 billion compared to P208 billion for the EDSA route and P211 billion for the Greenhills San Juan route.
The lawmaker also said the Katipunan route will affect more residential areas and require more space compared to the 2 other options.
“Mas malaki ang magagambala sa Katipunan, mas mahal, mas malaki (area required) sa Katipunan… mas malaki environmental impact, mas maraming tao maaapektuhan, mas mahal, pero mas pinili n’yo pa din ang Katipunan,” Erice said in a hearing, addressing DOTr Undersecretary for Railways, Atty. Timothy John Batan.
But Batan said the decision was based on the criteria set for the project, alongside the instruction guidelines by a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) design team.
The inter-agency committee is composed of the secretaries of DOTr, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Economic and Development Authority, and the head of the Metro Manila Development Authority, among others.
The first phase will connect Mindanao Avenue to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), with 3 stations set to be operational by 2022, the Department of Finance earlier said. The central zone with 13 stations is expected to be operational by 2025.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/21/19/house-panel-questions-route-of-metro-manila-subway
Public transport mess and traffic congestion
My Cup Of Liberty
By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.
There are many factors to frequent heavy traffic congestion in Metro Manila and other big cities in the provinces. This short article will narrow it down to five factors.
1. INCONVENIENT AND SOMETIMES UNSAFE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
People who live in many villages in Quezon City, Las Piñas and other cities and going to the big commercial and business districts (CBDs) in Makati, Taguig/BGC or Mandaluyong/Ortigas, taking public transportation means multiple rides: (1) tricycle from house to main roads, (2) jeep or bus to train station, (3) MRT or LRT ride, and (4) jeep or long walk to office or meeting places. Going back home, up to eight rides and people are already very tired coming home.
Snatchers and other criminals, sexual molesters can occur in any of those rides or while walking between those six to eight rides. And it is worse during the rainy season.
The solution is to drive their cars or motorcycles. People would rather brave the heavy traffic plus expensive parking fees than endure those multiple rides. Or take transport network vehicle services (TNVS) like Grab or any of its nine competitors now, or a regular taxi.
Below are official data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO). The total registered vehicles include government, diplomatic and for hire vehicles (77,241; 2,837; and 970,427 respectively, in 2017).
There are so many motorcycles and tricycles, 6.2 million in 2017 and probably 7.4 million in 2018. But there are not too many buses, only 34.8 million in 2017.
There are many unregistered vehicles like the “colorum” jeepneys, taxi and buses, and unregistered motorcycles and tricycles like those used by many policemen who drive motorcycles with no plate.
Now there are many point-to-point (P2P) buses with more routes, true. But people still need to ride tricycles or TNVS, taxi, etc. from their house to the P2P bus stations, so some people would still prefer to drive their cars.
2. EXPENSIVE “JEEPNEY MODERNIZATION”
The noisy and often ugly tricycles and jeepneys will soon be replaced by e-trikes and e-jeeps. Silent, no direct pollution, cool. But their cost is high, up to P1.8 million for e-jeeps and P0.6 million for e-trikes. Charging stations are limited too. By November 2018, only about 1,000 e-jeepneys have rolled out, around 169,000 old jeepneys need to be replaced before the end of transition period in 2020. and
3. OLD MRT, UNUSED NEW TRAINS
In the first 40 days of 2018, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) recorded a total of 33 MRT3 glitches, with imperiled passengers having to walk on rail tracks to get off. In addition, only 8-9 trains were running per day in February vs the minimum target of 15 working trains per day. Then the Dalian trains, of which out of 48 unused trains in 2017, only two were deployed as of December 2018.
4. FAILED, DELAYED DOTR PROJECTS DUE TO POLICY CHANGES
The Commission on Audit (CoA) report for 2017 showed that DoTr was unable to fully implement P46.6 billion out of P58.9 billion of funded projects due to frequent policy changes by political leaders and economic managers. Affected were 153 out of 159 DoTr projects like the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, LRT Line 2 east extension, and LRT Line 1 north extension common station.
5. BUREAUCRACIES IN TNVS
As this column has discussed in previous articles, there are lots of bureaucracies and requirements from the LTFRB before existing TNVS can expand, which reduces the supply of cars and drivers. And there are bureaucracies from the PCC before failing and losing TNVS and TNCs can exit the country. Even exiting from business can cost huge money, so potential big players from abroad would be hesitant to come and do business here.
The bigger the number of inconvenient public transportation like tricycles and jeepneys, the bigger the demand for private cars, which contributes to frequent traffic congestion. Even those “clean” e-trikes are still low-passenger tricycles. We need less of them, not more.
We need more modern public transportation like efficient MRT/LRT, aircon buses and vans, and reliable TNVS. These reduce the need for private car use. And these investments require less bureaucracy, permits and business taxes, not more.
Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.
minimalgovernment@gmail.com
https://www.bworldonline.com/public-transport-mess-and-traffic-congestion/
By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.
There are many factors to frequent heavy traffic congestion in Metro Manila and other big cities in the provinces. This short article will narrow it down to five factors.
1. INCONVENIENT AND SOMETIMES UNSAFE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
People who live in many villages in Quezon City, Las Piñas and other cities and going to the big commercial and business districts (CBDs) in Makati, Taguig/BGC or Mandaluyong/Ortigas, taking public transportation means multiple rides: (1) tricycle from house to main roads, (2) jeep or bus to train station, (3) MRT or LRT ride, and (4) jeep or long walk to office or meeting places. Going back home, up to eight rides and people are already very tired coming home.
Snatchers and other criminals, sexual molesters can occur in any of those rides or while walking between those six to eight rides. And it is worse during the rainy season.
The solution is to drive their cars or motorcycles. People would rather brave the heavy traffic plus expensive parking fees than endure those multiple rides. Or take transport network vehicle services (TNVS) like Grab or any of its nine competitors now, or a regular taxi.
Below are official data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO). The total registered vehicles include government, diplomatic and for hire vehicles (77,241; 2,837; and 970,427 respectively, in 2017).
There are so many motorcycles and tricycles, 6.2 million in 2017 and probably 7.4 million in 2018. But there are not too many buses, only 34.8 million in 2017.
There are many unregistered vehicles like the “colorum” jeepneys, taxi and buses, and unregistered motorcycles and tricycles like those used by many policemen who drive motorcycles with no plate.
Now there are many point-to-point (P2P) buses with more routes, true. But people still need to ride tricycles or TNVS, taxi, etc. from their house to the P2P bus stations, so some people would still prefer to drive their cars.
2. EXPENSIVE “JEEPNEY MODERNIZATION”
The noisy and often ugly tricycles and jeepneys will soon be replaced by e-trikes and e-jeeps. Silent, no direct pollution, cool. But their cost is high, up to P1.8 million for e-jeeps and P0.6 million for e-trikes. Charging stations are limited too. By November 2018, only about 1,000 e-jeepneys have rolled out, around 169,000 old jeepneys need to be replaced before the end of transition period in 2020. and
3. OLD MRT, UNUSED NEW TRAINS
In the first 40 days of 2018, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) recorded a total of 33 MRT3 glitches, with imperiled passengers having to walk on rail tracks to get off. In addition, only 8-9 trains were running per day in February vs the minimum target of 15 working trains per day. Then the Dalian trains, of which out of 48 unused trains in 2017, only two were deployed as of December 2018.
4. FAILED, DELAYED DOTR PROJECTS DUE TO POLICY CHANGES
The Commission on Audit (CoA) report for 2017 showed that DoTr was unable to fully implement P46.6 billion out of P58.9 billion of funded projects due to frequent policy changes by political leaders and economic managers. Affected were 153 out of 159 DoTr projects like the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, LRT Line 2 east extension, and LRT Line 1 north extension common station.
5. BUREAUCRACIES IN TNVS
As this column has discussed in previous articles, there are lots of bureaucracies and requirements from the LTFRB before existing TNVS can expand, which reduces the supply of cars and drivers. And there are bureaucracies from the PCC before failing and losing TNVS and TNCs can exit the country. Even exiting from business can cost huge money, so potential big players from abroad would be hesitant to come and do business here.
The bigger the number of inconvenient public transportation like tricycles and jeepneys, the bigger the demand for private cars, which contributes to frequent traffic congestion. Even those “clean” e-trikes are still low-passenger tricycles. We need less of them, not more.
We need more modern public transportation like efficient MRT/LRT, aircon buses and vans, and reliable TNVS. These reduce the need for private car use. And these investments require less bureaucracy, permits and business taxes, not more.
Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.
minimalgovernment@gmail.com
https://www.bworldonline.com/public-transport-mess-and-traffic-congestion/
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Nepo, Yeng to ensure rail project is completed
ALLIES Angeles City mayoralty bet Vice Mayor Bryan Nepomuceno and returning Congressman Joseller “Yeng” Guiao on Friday, January 18, said that they will make sure the construction of the Angeles segment of the planned P225-billion PNR Clark project will not be delayed by local issues and that it will be completed as scheduled.
In a joint statement, Nepomuceno, the official candidate of the Partido Abe Kampampangan and Guiao of the Kambilan Party of Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, said they are throwing their “100 percent cooperation and support for Secretary Arthur Tugade and the Department of Transportation (DoTr) as they move full steam ahead to see to it that PNR Clark is completed on target.”
Nepomuceno and Guiao issued the statement in reaction to concerns by some lawmakers on the ability of the DOTr to finish on schedule six railway projects that are part of the Build, Build, Build Program, the Duterte administration’s centerpiece infrastructure development thrust.
“I will do everything I can to make sure that construction of the Angeles segment of the planned P225 billion PNR Clark project will not be delayed by local issues the city government has immediate authority and influence to solve,” Nepomuceno said, stressing the critical importance of President Duterte’s railway project connecting Metro Manila to this city and nearby Clark Freeport.
For his part, Guiao said: “I will personally sponsor or co-sponsor House bills that are necessary to finally avoid perennial issues that delay the completion of government infrastructure projects. The early completion of the PNR Clark project is at the top of our agenda as it will benefit all the people of the first district of Pampanga.”
Targeted for completion sometime in 2020, the P225-billion PNR Clark project will cut travel time from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport to just around 55 minutes.
Status of rail projects
In the same statement, Nepomuceno and Guiao noted that during a House Committee on Transportation hearing on Wednesday, Cebu City Representative Raul del Mar observed that the “updates sound very good, but how can you assure us that the DOTr will be able to meet these timelines?”
DOTr officials led by Undersecretary Timothy John Batan briefed lawmakers on the status of six railway projects funded through loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). These projects include the 147-kilometer North South Commuter Railway from Clark in Pampanga to Los Banos in Laguna province, which is projected to cost P777.5 billion; and the 35-km Metro Manila Subway project from Quezon City to Parañaque worth P356 billion.
However, lawmakers noted that a 2017 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed the failed implementation of 153 of 159 DOTr projects worth P58.9 billion, including some railway projects.
According to the COA, the non-implementation of these projects was caused by changes in “policy directions by political leaders and economic managers.”
In February last year, the DOTr announced the revival of the PNR system with a line to the north as part of a bigger development plan for Clark and other cities outside Metro Manila.
The 38-kilometer Phase 1 of the project, which runs through ten stations from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan, is expected to serve around 340,000 people daily on a 35-minute commute.
PNR Clark Phase 2, meanwhile, is 69-kilometer stretch of railways from Malolos to Angeles City and Clark Freeport Zone. This segment will have 17 stations— Tutuban, Solis, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, City of San Fernando, Angeles City, Clark, Clark International Airport and New Clark City. (JTD)
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1783690
In a joint statement, Nepomuceno, the official candidate of the Partido Abe Kampampangan and Guiao of the Kambilan Party of Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, said they are throwing their “100 percent cooperation and support for Secretary Arthur Tugade and the Department of Transportation (DoTr) as they move full steam ahead to see to it that PNR Clark is completed on target.”
Nepomuceno and Guiao issued the statement in reaction to concerns by some lawmakers on the ability of the DOTr to finish on schedule six railway projects that are part of the Build, Build, Build Program, the Duterte administration’s centerpiece infrastructure development thrust.
“I will do everything I can to make sure that construction of the Angeles segment of the planned P225 billion PNR Clark project will not be delayed by local issues the city government has immediate authority and influence to solve,” Nepomuceno said, stressing the critical importance of President Duterte’s railway project connecting Metro Manila to this city and nearby Clark Freeport.
For his part, Guiao said: “I will personally sponsor or co-sponsor House bills that are necessary to finally avoid perennial issues that delay the completion of government infrastructure projects. The early completion of the PNR Clark project is at the top of our agenda as it will benefit all the people of the first district of Pampanga.”
Targeted for completion sometime in 2020, the P225-billion PNR Clark project will cut travel time from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport to just around 55 minutes.
Status of rail projects
In the same statement, Nepomuceno and Guiao noted that during a House Committee on Transportation hearing on Wednesday, Cebu City Representative Raul del Mar observed that the “updates sound very good, but how can you assure us that the DOTr will be able to meet these timelines?”
DOTr officials led by Undersecretary Timothy John Batan briefed lawmakers on the status of six railway projects funded through loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). These projects include the 147-kilometer North South Commuter Railway from Clark in Pampanga to Los Banos in Laguna province, which is projected to cost P777.5 billion; and the 35-km Metro Manila Subway project from Quezon City to Parañaque worth P356 billion.
However, lawmakers noted that a 2017 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed the failed implementation of 153 of 159 DOTr projects worth P58.9 billion, including some railway projects.
According to the COA, the non-implementation of these projects was caused by changes in “policy directions by political leaders and economic managers.”
In February last year, the DOTr announced the revival of the PNR system with a line to the north as part of a bigger development plan for Clark and other cities outside Metro Manila.
The 38-kilometer Phase 1 of the project, which runs through ten stations from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan, is expected to serve around 340,000 people daily on a 35-minute commute.
PNR Clark Phase 2, meanwhile, is 69-kilometer stretch of railways from Malolos to Angeles City and Clark Freeport Zone. This segment will have 17 stations— Tutuban, Solis, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, City of San Fernando, Angeles City, Clark, Clark International Airport and New Clark City. (JTD)
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1783690
Friday, January 18, 2019
DOTr: 'MRT-3 rehabilitation to begin in February'
The “comprehensive” rehabilitation of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), the rail line along EDSA, will begin next month, according to the Department of Transportation.
DOTr Undersecretary Timothy John Batan told the House of Representatives committee on transportation on Wednesday that the rail system would continue running while being rehabilitated.
He said the newly hired maintenance service provider, a consortium composed of Sumitomo and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan, would do the rehabilitation.
“We intend to restore the system to its original condition. While improvement works are being done, we aim to gradually increase the facility’s ridership from the current 350,000 commuters daily to 550,000,” he said.
He said the upgrade would cover all aspects of the MRT-3’s operation.
The EDSA rail line has been encountering glitches that result in the offloading of passengers.
Recently, the DOTr tested two light rail vehicles (LRVs) or train coaches procured by the Aquino administration from a Chinese company.
Batan was not asked about the China-made LRVs or the ownership issues hounding MRT-3.
While the government runs the rail line, a private firm owns it.
The Aquino administration tried to buy out the private owners, but the Senate blocked the effort by denying the allocated funds in the national budget.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/01/18/1885993/dotr-mrt-3-rehabilitation-begin-february
DOTr Undersecretary Timothy John Batan told the House of Representatives committee on transportation on Wednesday that the rail system would continue running while being rehabilitated.
He said the newly hired maintenance service provider, a consortium composed of Sumitomo and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan, would do the rehabilitation.
“We intend to restore the system to its original condition. While improvement works are being done, we aim to gradually increase the facility’s ridership from the current 350,000 commuters daily to 550,000,” he said.
He said the upgrade would cover all aspects of the MRT-3’s operation.
The EDSA rail line has been encountering glitches that result in the offloading of passengers.
Recently, the DOTr tested two light rail vehicles (LRVs) or train coaches procured by the Aquino administration from a Chinese company.
Batan was not asked about the China-made LRVs or the ownership issues hounding MRT-3.
While the government runs the rail line, a private firm owns it.
The Aquino administration tried to buy out the private owners, but the Senate blocked the effort by denying the allocated funds in the national budget.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/01/18/1885993/dotr-mrt-3-rehabilitation-begin-february
Lawmaker to DBM: Explain P37-billion deal with ‘consultants’
The majority leader of the House of Representatives on Thursday asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to explain the P37-billion contract for consultants that the agency it bidded out last year.
In a news statement, Majority Leader Rolando B. Andaya Jr. said the DBM is not only procuring multibillion big-ticket infrastructure projects, but it has also morphed into a “one-stop megamall” where consultants can bid for billions of pesos in contracts.
Andaya said documents, now in possession of the House Rules Committee, show the DBM-Procurement Service was responsible for bidding more than P37 billion in government contracts for consultants in 2018.
“The biggest contract, worth P14.3 billion, is for Project Management Consultancy for the PNR South Long Haul Project of the North-South Railway Project. It was awarded on October 31, 2018,” he said.
He added almost P11.7 billion was also awarded for General Consultancy for Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1 (Valenzuela-Parañaque). It was awarded on October 18, 2018.
Andaya said another General Consultancy worth P11.7 billion was bidded for the Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1 awarded on October 31, 2018.
“The P37-billion contracts for consultants were part of the P168-billion fund that the Department of Transportation obligated to the DBM-Procurement Service for bidding purposes,” he said.
According to Andaya, the documents on the multibillion-peso contracts bidded out by the DBM were turned over to the House Rules Committee by the executive director of DBM-PS, Bingle Gutierrez.
“This is quite alarming. A copy of the 2017 COA report on DBM-PS clearly spelled out the mandate of this office. To quote: The issuance of Administrative Order 17 dated July 28, 2011, reiterated to all government agencies that their procurement of common use supplies shall be done through PS and that the PhilGEPS shall be used in all their procurement activities, including publication of all their bid opportunities and posting of all their awards and contracts, in accordance with Republic Act 9184,” the lawmaker said.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/lawmaker-to-dbm-explain-p37-billion-deal-with-consultants/
In a news statement, Majority Leader Rolando B. Andaya Jr. said the DBM is not only procuring multibillion big-ticket infrastructure projects, but it has also morphed into a “one-stop megamall” where consultants can bid for billions of pesos in contracts.
Andaya said documents, now in possession of the House Rules Committee, show the DBM-Procurement Service was responsible for bidding more than P37 billion in government contracts for consultants in 2018.
“The biggest contract, worth P14.3 billion, is for Project Management Consultancy for the PNR South Long Haul Project of the North-South Railway Project. It was awarded on October 31, 2018,” he said.
He added almost P11.7 billion was also awarded for General Consultancy for Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1 (Valenzuela-Parañaque). It was awarded on October 18, 2018.
Andaya said another General Consultancy worth P11.7 billion was bidded for the Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1 awarded on October 31, 2018.
“The P37-billion contracts for consultants were part of the P168-billion fund that the Department of Transportation obligated to the DBM-Procurement Service for bidding purposes,” he said.
According to Andaya, the documents on the multibillion-peso contracts bidded out by the DBM were turned over to the House Rules Committee by the executive director of DBM-PS, Bingle Gutierrez.
“This is quite alarming. A copy of the 2017 COA report on DBM-PS clearly spelled out the mandate of this office. To quote: The issuance of Administrative Order 17 dated July 28, 2011, reiterated to all government agencies that their procurement of common use supplies shall be done through PS and that the PhilGEPS shall be used in all their procurement activities, including publication of all their bid opportunities and posting of all their awards and contracts, in accordance with Republic Act 9184,” the lawmaker said.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/lawmaker-to-dbm-explain-p37-billion-deal-with-consultants/
Thursday, January 17, 2019
DPWH dealing with right of way issues, says Villar
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar on Wednesday said that the government had achieved “significant progress” in dealing with right of way problems, especially in big-ticket projects, since the Duterte administration came to office.
Villar said in a statement that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had been able to “expedite the acquisition process” since he issued Department Order No. 65, which created a right of way task force, in May last year.
With the task force working, the DPWH managed to settle within a year and seven months all right of way issues in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Harbor Link Segment 10 project, which had been stalled for over three decades, he added.
Passable this month
It acquired 100-percent possession of the project site in December last year, Villar said.
“We are happy to announce that the NLEx Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C3 in Caloocan and NLEx will be reduced to 10 minutes,” he said.
The project consists of a 5.65-kilometer elevated expressway that stretches over NLEx from MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, cuts through Malabon City and passes over C3 Road in Caloocan City, and the 2.6-km section between C3 Road and R10 in Navotas City.
“The next phase will connect it to R10 and reduce travel time from Port Area in Manila to Quezon City to approximately 10 minutes,” Villar said.
Decentralization
The DPWH is now concreting the additional 600-meter segment that would make 2.7 km of Mindanao Avenue Extension passable within the first quarter of this year.
“The project was started in the 1980s but was stopped for decades due to right of way issues. We are happy that it was during the term of President Duterte that we are able to deliver the project,” Villar said.
DO 65 helped to “decentralize and rationalize” DPWH processes, according to Abdul Halim Diron, chief of the agency’s Right-of-Way Acquisition and Enforcement Division.
“This time, instead of just the secretary, certain acts can already be performed by the regional directors and directors in the central office. If it’s a [regional] project, the regional director can already validate and approve transactions. So that helps hasten the acquisition,” Diron said in an interview on Wednesday.
The order, he said, also cleared the way for the DPWH to improve its legal processes, with each regional office now having a legal division that deals with right of way matters.
If before there was only one lawyer handling a problem in an area, now there are at least five, he added.
The announcement of improvements came amid reports of projects being delayed because of unresolved right of way issues.
Diron attributed the delay in right of way payments to due diligence.
‘Improper payment’
The DPWH does not want “improper payment” to be made to landowners, he said.
Diron explained that in due diligence, certain problems may arise and cause delay in the release of payments, such as a landowner’s failure to submit proper documents or the requirement for the DPWH to prove that private property will indeed be affected by the project.
“You have to understand that this is taxpayer money that we are using and we have to comply with Commission on Audit (COA) rules on payments. Our process here, as well as in [the] COA, is really document-based. It relies so much on official records that it could take a while to obtain them,” Diron said.
Earlier this week, some 180 residents of Sariaya, Quezon province, reported that they had yet to be compensated for their properties that were affected by the construction of a 7.2-km, P467-million bypass whose development began three years ago.
The local public works office said some of the landowners had failed to submit proper documents, while the papers of those who had met the requirement were undergoing verification and authentication.
Diron said it was “not the practice” of the DPWH to start a project before acquiring right of way, noting that problems were inevitable once the project got started.
“Sometimes you can only spot an issue upon implementation. Let’s say you conducted a survey, made alignment plans then once you go down the landowner dies or sells his property … That’s where challenges crop up on our part. They really arise during implementation,” he said.
Balance of interests
Even after a court has decided in favor of the government in instances of expropriation, it also doesn’t mean that payments will be done immediately, Diron said.
“One of the limitations is if [the fund] is not allotted for a particular purpose, it needs appropriation. We have to balance the interest of the landowner [with] the interest of [the] government, which is to safeguard public funds and make sure that [payment] goes to the proper person,” he said.
It is easy to pay landowners, but it is so hard to undo an improper payment, Diron said.
“If there is delay, it’s for the benefit of the public and landowner,” he said.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1074029/dpwh-dealing-with-right-of-way-issues-says-villar
Villar said in a statement that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had been able to “expedite the acquisition process” since he issued Department Order No. 65, which created a right of way task force, in May last year.
With the task force working, the DPWH managed to settle within a year and seven months all right of way issues in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Harbor Link Segment 10 project, which had been stalled for over three decades, he added.
Passable this month
It acquired 100-percent possession of the project site in December last year, Villar said.
“We are happy to announce that the NLEx Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C3 in Caloocan and NLEx will be reduced to 10 minutes,” he said.
The project consists of a 5.65-kilometer elevated expressway that stretches over NLEx from MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, cuts through Malabon City and passes over C3 Road in Caloocan City, and the 2.6-km section between C3 Road and R10 in Navotas City.
“The next phase will connect it to R10 and reduce travel time from Port Area in Manila to Quezon City to approximately 10 minutes,” Villar said.
Decentralization
The DPWH is now concreting the additional 600-meter segment that would make 2.7 km of Mindanao Avenue Extension passable within the first quarter of this year.
“The project was started in the 1980s but was stopped for decades due to right of way issues. We are happy that it was during the term of President Duterte that we are able to deliver the project,” Villar said.
DO 65 helped to “decentralize and rationalize” DPWH processes, according to Abdul Halim Diron, chief of the agency’s Right-of-Way Acquisition and Enforcement Division.
“This time, instead of just the secretary, certain acts can already be performed by the regional directors and directors in the central office. If it’s a [regional] project, the regional director can already validate and approve transactions. So that helps hasten the acquisition,” Diron said in an interview on Wednesday.
The order, he said, also cleared the way for the DPWH to improve its legal processes, with each regional office now having a legal division that deals with right of way matters.
If before there was only one lawyer handling a problem in an area, now there are at least five, he added.
The announcement of improvements came amid reports of projects being delayed because of unresolved right of way issues.
Diron attributed the delay in right of way payments to due diligence.
‘Improper payment’
The DPWH does not want “improper payment” to be made to landowners, he said.
Diron explained that in due diligence, certain problems may arise and cause delay in the release of payments, such as a landowner’s failure to submit proper documents or the requirement for the DPWH to prove that private property will indeed be affected by the project.
“You have to understand that this is taxpayer money that we are using and we have to comply with Commission on Audit (COA) rules on payments. Our process here, as well as in [the] COA, is really document-based. It relies so much on official records that it could take a while to obtain them,” Diron said.
Earlier this week, some 180 residents of Sariaya, Quezon province, reported that they had yet to be compensated for their properties that were affected by the construction of a 7.2-km, P467-million bypass whose development began three years ago.
The local public works office said some of the landowners had failed to submit proper documents, while the papers of those who had met the requirement were undergoing verification and authentication.
Diron said it was “not the practice” of the DPWH to start a project before acquiring right of way, noting that problems were inevitable once the project got started.
“Sometimes you can only spot an issue upon implementation. Let’s say you conducted a survey, made alignment plans then once you go down the landowner dies or sells his property … That’s where challenges crop up on our part. They really arise during implementation,” he said.
Balance of interests
Even after a court has decided in favor of the government in instances of expropriation, it also doesn’t mean that payments will be done immediately, Diron said.
“One of the limitations is if [the fund] is not allotted for a particular purpose, it needs appropriation. We have to balance the interest of the landowner [with] the interest of [the] government, which is to safeguard public funds and make sure that [payment] goes to the proper person,” he said.
It is easy to pay landowners, but it is so hard to undo an improper payment, Diron said.
“If there is delay, it’s for the benefit of the public and landowner,” he said.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1074029/dpwh-dealing-with-right-of-way-issues-says-villar
Don’t delay railway projects, lawmakers urge DOTr
Lawmakers pressed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday to ensure that six railway projects, including a subway in Metro Manila, would not be hounded by delays that plagued past projects.
“The updates sound very good… but how can you assure us that the will be able to meet these timelines?” Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar asked DOTr officials at the hearing of the House committee on transportation.
The officials led by Undersecretary Timothy John Batan briefed members of the House of Representatives on the status of railway projects under the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
6 railway projects
With loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the DOTr has lined up six railway projects, including the 147-kilometer North South Commuter Railway from Clark in Pampanga to Calamba City in Laguna province, which is projected to cost P777.5 billion; and the 35-km Metro Manila Subway project from Quezon City to Parañaque worth P356 billion.
It is also pursuing the P16.3-billion rehabilitation of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 on Edsa, and the P12.9-billion expansion of Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1 to Cavite province and LRT 2 (Antipolo City segment).
The DOTr is also funding the establishment of a Philippine Railway Institute, which would provide training and accreditation of workers in the country’s railway industry.
Delays in 153 projects
Lawmakers, however, expressed concern that these projects may not be finished as scheduled and would entail added costs for the government.
In its 2017 report, the Commission on Audit (COA) questioned the failed implementation of 153 of 159 DOTr projects worth P58.9 billion, which included a number of railway projects.
The COA blamed changes in “policy directions by political leaders and economic managers.”
Batan assured lawmakers that the DOTr had set up a monitoring facility being hosted by the National Economic and Development Authority to ensure that the timelines were followed.
He said the MRT 3 rehabilitation project was in full swing following the signing of the contract on December 28, 2018 with the original Japanese contractor, Sumitomo Corp. The project is to be completed by March 2021.
Overhaul of trains
The project involves rehabilitation and upgrade of the railway system to its original “as-designed” state, and overhaul of 72 trains and replacement of tracks, as well as the upgrade of the signaling, power supply and communications systems.
Batan said the DOTr was set to demolish about 100 concrete piers of the unfinished phase of the Northrail project from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos City in Bulacan province to pave the way for the construction of a new railway structure.
The DOTr is relocating informal settlers living along the tracks, as well as bidding out contracts for the civil works and purchase of coaches.
The railway project’s southern end will extend from Tutuban to Calamba City, a stretch of 53 km, and will cut down travel time to one hour. It is set to be started in the second quarter of the year, and will be completed by 2023.
Construction of the Metro Manila Subway project is set to start in the first quarter and is expected to break ground this month, according to Batan. It is due to be completed by 2025.
The DOTr expects the subway to cut travel time from Quezon City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque City to 42 minutes, and will serve some 370,000 passengers daily in its opening year.
WHAT WENT BEFORE: The Northrail Project
The Northrail Project of the Arroyo administration has been revived as the Philippine National Railway Clark (PNR Clark), one of the “big-ticket projects” of the Duterte administration.
As planned during the term of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Northrail would extend the line in Manila northward to Bulacan province. Its first section would extend from the old Tutuban station in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan.
In 2008, Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., star witness in the Senate inquiry into the controversial NBN-ZTE deal, disclosed that the Chinese businessmen, whom then Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. met with in January 2007, said they had been promised that the NBN project would be done on a loan basis just like the Northrail.
Then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile also alleged that then Speaker Jose de Venecia was the main lobbyist for the project which, he said, was exorbitantly priced at $503 million for a 32-kilometer railroad.
Enrile said the terms of the loan were skewed unfairly in China’s favor.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in February last year that it was reviving the PNR system with a line to the north as part of a bigger development plan for Clark and other cities outside Metro Manila, Phase 1 is the 38-km segment from Tutuban to Malolos, with 10 stations. It is expected to service 340,000 people daily in its opening year and would take 35 minutes for the trip.
The contract for the construction supervision and tender assistance consultant for PNR Clark Phase 1 was signed on Dec. 1, 2017.
In April last year, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said preconstruction activities for Phase 1 started in January with actual construction targeted by November last year.
Phase 2 is a 69-km stretch from Malolos to Clark Field in Pampanga province.
It will have 17 stations—Tutuban, Solis, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport and New Clark City.
The DOTr expects to complete the P225-billion Manila-Clark railway project in 2020. A trip to Clark International Airport from Metro Manila is expected to take 55 minutes. —Inquirer Research
SOURCES: INQUIRER ARCHIVES, DOTR WEBPAGE AND FB
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1074035/what-went-before-the-northrail-project
As planned during the term of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Northrail would extend the line in Manila northward to Bulacan province. Its first section would extend from the old Tutuban station in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan.
In 2008, Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., star witness in the Senate inquiry into the controversial NBN-ZTE deal, disclosed that the Chinese businessmen, whom then Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. met with in January 2007, said they had been promised that the NBN project would be done on a loan basis just like the Northrail.
Then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile also alleged that then Speaker Jose de Venecia was the main lobbyist for the project which, he said, was exorbitantly priced at $503 million for a 32-kilometer railroad.
Enrile said the terms of the loan were skewed unfairly in China’s favor.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in February last year that it was reviving the PNR system with a line to the north as part of a bigger development plan for Clark and other cities outside Metro Manila, Phase 1 is the 38-km segment from Tutuban to Malolos, with 10 stations. It is expected to service 340,000 people daily in its opening year and would take 35 minutes for the trip.
The contract for the construction supervision and tender assistance consultant for PNR Clark Phase 1 was signed on Dec. 1, 2017.
In April last year, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said preconstruction activities for Phase 1 started in January with actual construction targeted by November last year.
Phase 2 is a 69-km stretch from Malolos to Clark Field in Pampanga province.
It will have 17 stations—Tutuban, Solis, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport and New Clark City.
The DOTr expects to complete the P225-billion Manila-Clark railway project in 2020. A trip to Clark International Airport from Metro Manila is expected to take 55 minutes. —Inquirer Research
SOURCES: INQUIRER ARCHIVES, DOTR WEBPAGE AND FB
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1074035/what-went-before-the-northrail-project
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Lawmakers ask DOTr to ensure timely completion of JICA supported railways
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
Lawmakers on Wednesday asked the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to ensure that the railway projects supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be implemented on time.
At Wednesday’s House Committee on Transportation briefing on the JICA-supported railway projects, Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar sought assurance from DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan that the timelines for the implementation of the projects will be complied with.
“The updates sound very good. Have you given progress reports and timelines in the past you did not comply with? How can you assure that you can keep these timelines?,” he asked after Batan presented to the panel the status of the JICA-supported railway projects.
Batan noted that the ongoing projects that have direct JICA support include MRT-3 rehabilitation and maintenance, North South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, Light Railway Transit 1, Light Railway Transit 2, and Philippine Railway Institute.
The DOTr official explained that the National Economic Development Authority ((NEDA) has put in place project monitoring facility to make sure that the “timelines committed are the timelines realized.”
“You might come around, and you might say that it (delay) is (the) fault of the implementing agencies. Make sure that you will be on top of these projects and make sure that the timelines given to us are complied with,” Del Mar said.
“If there are excusable delays that could be avoided, please give us a notice in advance to prevent the delays, excusable or not,” he said.
San Jose Del Monte Rep. Florida Robes and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop also counted on the DOTr to ensure that the implementation of the projects will not be delayed.
At the start of the briefing, Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, said, “We want to be briefed about the projects so that the Congress can support you in the efficient implementation thereof.”
Batan said the MRT 3 rehabilitation project is expected to be completed in March 2021. The P16.390-billion rehabilitation, which involves Sumitomo Corporation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as technical partner, includes the overhaul of 72 trains, track replacement and upgrade of signaling, power system and communication system.
Batan also apprised the panel that the P149.30-billion North South Commuter Railway Project, which is 37.6 kilometers spanning from Tutuban to Malolos, Bulacan with 10 stations will start by the first quarter of 2019 and will be completed by fourth quarter of 2021.
He also noted that the partial operations of the 72-kilometer North South Commuter Railway Project Los Banos Extension is expected by the second quarter of 2022 and will be fully operated by second quarter of 2023. It is designed to accommodate around 340,000 passengers per day on opening year.
While, the North South Commuter Railway Project Clark Extension will begin in the second quarter of 2019 and will be fully operated by second quarter of 2023, he said.
Batan said the P356-billion Metro Manila Subway Project will start by the first quarter of this year and will be fully completed by third quarter of 2025.
He also disclosed that the P9.5-billion LRT 2 East Extension (Santolan-Antipolo), which started in 2016, will be finished by first quarter of 2020 and the Philippine Railway Institute will be opened by 2022.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/01/16/lawmakers-ask-dotr-to-ensure-timely-completion-of-jica-supported-railways/
Lawmakers on Wednesday asked the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to ensure that the railway projects supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be implemented on time.
At Wednesday’s House Committee on Transportation briefing on the JICA-supported railway projects, Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar sought assurance from DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan that the timelines for the implementation of the projects will be complied with.
“The updates sound very good. Have you given progress reports and timelines in the past you did not comply with? How can you assure that you can keep these timelines?,” he asked after Batan presented to the panel the status of the JICA-supported railway projects.
Batan noted that the ongoing projects that have direct JICA support include MRT-3 rehabilitation and maintenance, North South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, Light Railway Transit 1, Light Railway Transit 2, and Philippine Railway Institute.
The DOTr official explained that the National Economic Development Authority ((NEDA) has put in place project monitoring facility to make sure that the “timelines committed are the timelines realized.”
“You might come around, and you might say that it (delay) is (the) fault of the implementing agencies. Make sure that you will be on top of these projects and make sure that the timelines given to us are complied with,” Del Mar said.
“If there are excusable delays that could be avoided, please give us a notice in advance to prevent the delays, excusable or not,” he said.
San Jose Del Monte Rep. Florida Robes and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop also counted on the DOTr to ensure that the implementation of the projects will not be delayed.
At the start of the briefing, Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, said, “We want to be briefed about the projects so that the Congress can support you in the efficient implementation thereof.”
Batan said the MRT 3 rehabilitation project is expected to be completed in March 2021. The P16.390-billion rehabilitation, which involves Sumitomo Corporation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as technical partner, includes the overhaul of 72 trains, track replacement and upgrade of signaling, power system and communication system.
Batan also apprised the panel that the P149.30-billion North South Commuter Railway Project, which is 37.6 kilometers spanning from Tutuban to Malolos, Bulacan with 10 stations will start by the first quarter of 2019 and will be completed by fourth quarter of 2021.
He also noted that the partial operations of the 72-kilometer North South Commuter Railway Project Los Banos Extension is expected by the second quarter of 2022 and will be fully operated by second quarter of 2023. It is designed to accommodate around 340,000 passengers per day on opening year.
While, the North South Commuter Railway Project Clark Extension will begin in the second quarter of 2019 and will be fully operated by second quarter of 2023, he said.
Batan said the P356-billion Metro Manila Subway Project will start by the first quarter of this year and will be fully completed by third quarter of 2025.
He also disclosed that the P9.5-billion LRT 2 East Extension (Santolan-Antipolo), which started in 2016, will be finished by first quarter of 2020 and the Philippine Railway Institute will be opened by 2022.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/01/16/lawmakers-ask-dotr-to-ensure-timely-completion-of-jica-supported-railways/
Portion of NLEX Harbor Link Project to open this month
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday said a part of the multi-billion North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Segment 10 Project will open to motorists this month.
According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, the portion of the undertaking that is set to be opened will shorten the travel time from Circumferential Road 3 (C-3) in Caloocan City and NLEX in Quezon City.
“We are happy to announce that the NLEX Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C-3 in Caloocan City and NLEX, will be reduced to 10 mins,” Villar said in a statement.
NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is composed of the 5.65-km elevated expressway traversing the NLEX from MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, passing through Malabon City and C-3 Road, Caloocan City, and the 2.6-km section between C-3 Road, Caloocan City and Radial Road 10 (R-10), Navotas City.
The project costs PHP15.5 billion.
With this, Villar reported that the next segment will improve the movement of cargo from the Port of Manila by providing a direct connection between R-10 and NLEX.
“The next phase will connect it to R-10 and reduce travel time from Port Area in Manila to Quezon City to approximately 10 minutes,” he said.
According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, the portion of the undertaking that is set to be opened will shorten the travel time from Circumferential Road 3 (C-3) in Caloocan City and NLEX in Quezon City.
“We are happy to announce that the NLEX Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C-3 in Caloocan City and NLEX, will be reduced to 10 mins,” Villar said in a statement.
NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is composed of the 5.65-km elevated expressway traversing the NLEX from MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, passing through Malabon City and C-3 Road, Caloocan City, and the 2.6-km section between C-3 Road, Caloocan City and Radial Road 10 (R-10), Navotas City.
The project costs PHP15.5 billion.
With this, Villar reported that the next segment will improve the movement of cargo from the Port of Manila by providing a direct connection between R-10 and NLEX.
“The next phase will connect it to R-10 and reduce travel time from Port Area in Manila to Quezon City to approximately 10 minutes,” he said.
NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 to open this month
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Harbor Link Segment 10 is finally set to open this month.
“We are happy to announce that the NLEx Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C3 in Caloocan and NLEx, will be reduced to 10 minutes,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said in a statement on Tuesday.
The project was originally scheduled for completion in December after the DPWH delivered 100% right-of-way on the toll road’s main line in October.
Harbor Link Segment 10 is an expressway project by the government’s private concessionaire NLEX Corp., which aims to connect Karuhatan in Valenzuela City to C3 road in Caloocan City, with a spur road to Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Navotas City.
About 30,000 cars a day are expected to benefit from the toll road once it opens, a bulk of which are trucks coming from the port area.
NLEX Corp. is part of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).
MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/nlex-harbor-link-segment-10-to-open-this-month/
“We are happy to announce that the NLEx Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C3 in Caloocan and NLEx, will be reduced to 10 minutes,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said in a statement on Tuesday.
The project was originally scheduled for completion in December after the DPWH delivered 100% right-of-way on the toll road’s main line in October.
Harbor Link Segment 10 is an expressway project by the government’s private concessionaire NLEX Corp., which aims to connect Karuhatan in Valenzuela City to C3 road in Caloocan City, with a spur road to Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Navotas City.
About 30,000 cars a day are expected to benefit from the toll road once it opens, a bulk of which are trucks coming from the port area.
NLEX Corp. is part of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).
MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/nlex-harbor-link-segment-10-to-open-this-month/
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 to open this January —DPWH
The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Segment 10 is set to be opened for motorists this month after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) acquired 100 percent of the project's site.
The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is composed of the 5.65-kilometer elevated expressway traversing the NLEX from MacArthur Highway Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, passing through Malabon City and C3 Road, Caloocan City, and the 2.6-kilometer section between C3 Road, Caloocan City and R10, Navotas City.
“We are happy to announce that the NLEX Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C3 in Caloocan and NLEX, will be reduced to 10 mins,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.
The Cabinet official noted that since the issuance of Department Order No. 65 last May 2018, the DPWH has acquired 100-percent possession of site of the NLEX Harbor Link Project Segment 10 as of December 2018, after a span of one year and seven months.
The DO No. 65 created a Right-of-way Task force (RTF) for each of the projects being implemented by the DPWH.
“The next phase will connect it to R-10 and reduce travel time from Port Area in Manila to Quezon City to approximately 10 minutes,” Villar said.
The Public Works chief said that since the issuance of DO No. 65, a significant progress in right-of-way acquisition of certain big ticket projects included in the "Build Build Build" program can be seen.
“The delegation of duties and responsibilities to the different RTFs technically decentralized the ROW acquisition process. The decentralization of ROW functions was done with the end in mind of expediting the whole ROW acquisition process,” Villar said.
The DPWH is also currently undertaking the finishing works in concreting the additional 600-meter segment which would make 2.7-kilometers of Mindanao Avenue Extension accessible within the first quarter of 2019.
"The project was started in the 1980s but was stopped for decades due to right-of-way issues. We are happy that it was during the term of President Duterte that we are able to deliver this project," Villar said.
"The P118-million project which is now 87.78% also involves construction of drainage and slope protection, reinforced concrete box culvert, and street lighting," he said.
Resumed in 2017, the construction resulted to the additional 700-meter road section from P. dela Cruz Street to MGM Road which was completed in June 2018, making 2.1-kilometers accessible by the public.
"Upon completion of the additional 600-meter segment, DPWH will be working on right-of-way issues along the missing 500-meter gap which will soon complete the full 3.2-kilometer stretch of the Mindanao Avenue Extension," Villar said.
“The completion of the 8-lane Mindanao Avenue Extension is our utmost priority as it will greatly reduce travel time by linking North Caloocan to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Quezon City and improve traffic flow in the cities of Novaliches, Valenzuela and Caloocan City,” he added. —NB, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/681479/nlex-harbor-link-segment-10-to-open-this-january-dpwh/story/
The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is composed of the 5.65-kilometer elevated expressway traversing the NLEX from MacArthur Highway Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, passing through Malabon City and C3 Road, Caloocan City, and the 2.6-kilometer section between C3 Road, Caloocan City and R10, Navotas City.
“We are happy to announce that the NLEX Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C3 in Caloocan and NLEX, will be reduced to 10 mins,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.
The Cabinet official noted that since the issuance of Department Order No. 65 last May 2018, the DPWH has acquired 100-percent possession of site of the NLEX Harbor Link Project Segment 10 as of December 2018, after a span of one year and seven months.
The DO No. 65 created a Right-of-way Task force (RTF) for each of the projects being implemented by the DPWH.
“The next phase will connect it to R-10 and reduce travel time from Port Area in Manila to Quezon City to approximately 10 minutes,” Villar said.
The Public Works chief said that since the issuance of DO No. 65, a significant progress in right-of-way acquisition of certain big ticket projects included in the "Build Build Build" program can be seen.
“The delegation of duties and responsibilities to the different RTFs technically decentralized the ROW acquisition process. The decentralization of ROW functions was done with the end in mind of expediting the whole ROW acquisition process,” Villar said.
The DPWH is also currently undertaking the finishing works in concreting the additional 600-meter segment which would make 2.7-kilometers of Mindanao Avenue Extension accessible within the first quarter of 2019.
"The project was started in the 1980s but was stopped for decades due to right-of-way issues. We are happy that it was during the term of President Duterte that we are able to deliver this project," Villar said.
"The P118-million project which is now 87.78% also involves construction of drainage and slope protection, reinforced concrete box culvert, and street lighting," he said.
Resumed in 2017, the construction resulted to the additional 700-meter road section from P. dela Cruz Street to MGM Road which was completed in June 2018, making 2.1-kilometers accessible by the public.
"Upon completion of the additional 600-meter segment, DPWH will be working on right-of-way issues along the missing 500-meter gap which will soon complete the full 3.2-kilometer stretch of the Mindanao Avenue Extension," Villar said.
“The completion of the 8-lane Mindanao Avenue Extension is our utmost priority as it will greatly reduce travel time by linking North Caloocan to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Quezon City and improve traffic flow in the cities of Novaliches, Valenzuela and Caloocan City,” he added. —NB, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/681479/nlex-harbor-link-segment-10-to-open-this-january-dpwh/story/
Friday, January 11, 2019
Bong Go assures more developments in Cavite
“You must not worry. Change and progress will continue here in Cavite.”
This was the guarantee given to the Caviteños by former special assistant to the President (SAP) and now 2019 candidate for senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, noting that the province has a special place in the heart of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The former SAP gave the assurance during the Ugnayan sa Barangay event on Tuesday afternoon in Trece Martires City.
Go was warmly welcomed by Cavite Governor and congressional candidate Jesus Crispin Remulla, former governor Juanito Victor Remulla, board member Ryan Enriquez, Trece Martires mayoral candidate Gemma Lubigan and other local leaders of the area.
He acknowledged that Cavite is an important contributor to the country’s economic growth given its location and business-friendly environment.
Go said the Duterte administration, through its “Build Build Build” program, has earmarked several important projects that would spur even more growth and development in the province and its people.
These include right-of-way acquisition-related activities, which are ongoing for the P35.43-billion project consisting of a 44.63-kilometer closed system Cavite-Laguna Expressway connecting the Cavitex in Kawit town and South Luzon Exchange in Binan, Laguna.
Also ongoing are pre-construction activities for the P64.9-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite extension, starting from the Baclaran station to Barangay Niyog in Bacoor City.
Go also announced that a Malasakit Center would soon open in Cavite to cater to the need for financial and medical assistance of poor and disadvantaged residents of the province.
The Malasakit Center, a brainchild of Go and Duterte, is a one-stop shop initiative where Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Department of Social Welfare and Development, PhilHealth, and other related government satellite offices are housed together to ease the process for patients in need of speedy medical and financial assistance.
Meanwhile, Go pointed out the need to protect the welfare of barangay (village) officials as well as barangay health workers through proper compensation and benefits packages and by pushing for a Magna Carta for Barangay.
Go also is supporting a move to extend the term of barangay officials, so they can have more time to cater to the needs of their constituents.
The current term has been cut short to two years because of the postponement of the last barangay elections.
https://www.manilatimes.net/bong-go-assures-more-developments-in-cavite/494800/
This was the guarantee given to the Caviteños by former special assistant to the President (SAP) and now 2019 candidate for senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, noting that the province has a special place in the heart of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The former SAP gave the assurance during the Ugnayan sa Barangay event on Tuesday afternoon in Trece Martires City.
Go was warmly welcomed by Cavite Governor and congressional candidate Jesus Crispin Remulla, former governor Juanito Victor Remulla, board member Ryan Enriquez, Trece Martires mayoral candidate Gemma Lubigan and other local leaders of the area.
He acknowledged that Cavite is an important contributor to the country’s economic growth given its location and business-friendly environment.
Go said the Duterte administration, through its “Build Build Build” program, has earmarked several important projects that would spur even more growth and development in the province and its people.
These include right-of-way acquisition-related activities, which are ongoing for the P35.43-billion project consisting of a 44.63-kilometer closed system Cavite-Laguna Expressway connecting the Cavitex in Kawit town and South Luzon Exchange in Binan, Laguna.
Also ongoing are pre-construction activities for the P64.9-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite extension, starting from the Baclaran station to Barangay Niyog in Bacoor City.
Go also announced that a Malasakit Center would soon open in Cavite to cater to the need for financial and medical assistance of poor and disadvantaged residents of the province.
The Malasakit Center, a brainchild of Go and Duterte, is a one-stop shop initiative where Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Department of Social Welfare and Development, PhilHealth, and other related government satellite offices are housed together to ease the process for patients in need of speedy medical and financial assistance.
Meanwhile, Go pointed out the need to protect the welfare of barangay (village) officials as well as barangay health workers through proper compensation and benefits packages and by pushing for a Magna Carta for Barangay.
Go also is supporting a move to extend the term of barangay officials, so they can have more time to cater to the needs of their constituents.
The current term has been cut short to two years because of the postponement of the last barangay elections.
https://www.manilatimes.net/bong-go-assures-more-developments-in-cavite/494800/
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Third Dalian train set for MRT-3 to undergo test run
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to conduct a test run on the third set of Dalian trains for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), an official said yesterday.
Goddes Hope Libiran, DOTr communications director, said in a statement that “commissioning of the third train set is ongoing.”
She said commissioning involves “1,000 kilometers of test runs during off-peak hours.” The train set would then undergo 150 hours of test runs in the MRT-3’s main line for “validation testing.”
Once the tests are done, the Philippine National Railways (PNR), which conducts the test runs for the Dalian trains, would evaluate the performance of the train set.
The first Dalian train was deployed in October last year and the second in December.
The then Department of Transportation and Communication purchased 48 coaches produced by China’s Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. for P3.759 billion in 2014.
They sat unused until DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade forged a deal with Dalian to fix the trains at no cost to the government.
The rehabilitation of the entire rail line is expected to start this month.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/01/08/1883112/third-dalian-train-set-mrt-3-undergo-test-run
Goddes Hope Libiran, DOTr communications director, said in a statement that “commissioning of the third train set is ongoing.”
She said commissioning involves “1,000 kilometers of test runs during off-peak hours.” The train set would then undergo 150 hours of test runs in the MRT-3’s main line for “validation testing.”
Once the tests are done, the Philippine National Railways (PNR), which conducts the test runs for the Dalian trains, would evaluate the performance of the train set.
The first Dalian train was deployed in October last year and the second in December.
The then Department of Transportation and Communication purchased 48 coaches produced by China’s Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. for P3.759 billion in 2014.
They sat unused until DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade forged a deal with Dalian to fix the trains at no cost to the government.
The rehabilitation of the entire rail line is expected to start this month.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/01/08/1883112/third-dalian-train-set-mrt-3-undergo-test-run
MRT-3 rehab to start soon
By Emmie V. Abadilla
The P18-billion, 43-month rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit Line (MRT-3) is scheduled to begin anytime between late this month to early next month.
First of all, the Japanese consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Corp. will rehabilitate MRT-3’s fleet composed of 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs).
At the same time, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) committed to keep 15 trains operating – the daily average.
Gradually, they will increase the number of operating trains during the 26-month overhaul so as not to inconvenience MRT-3’s 360,000 daily passengers.
By the 26th month, MRT-3 would have a maximum of 20 trains running at 60 km per hour.
The rehabilitation will also cover periodic maintenance, including the restoration and overhaul of MRT-3’s power supply, overhead catenary system, signaling system, tracks, closed-circuit television camera and public address systems, as well as its elevators and escalators.
The Japanese consortium undertaking the rehabilitation will also be the one to decide on how to maintain 42 of 48 Dalian LRVs still sitting unused at the MRT-3 depot, according to DOTr officials.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/01/07/mrt-3-rehab-to-start-soon/
The P18-billion, 43-month rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit Line (MRT-3) is scheduled to begin anytime between late this month to early next month.
First of all, the Japanese consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Corp. will rehabilitate MRT-3’s fleet composed of 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs).
At the same time, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) committed to keep 15 trains operating – the daily average.
Gradually, they will increase the number of operating trains during the 26-month overhaul so as not to inconvenience MRT-3’s 360,000 daily passengers.
By the 26th month, MRT-3 would have a maximum of 20 trains running at 60 km per hour.
The rehabilitation will also cover periodic maintenance, including the restoration and overhaul of MRT-3’s power supply, overhead catenary system, signaling system, tracks, closed-circuit television camera and public address systems, as well as its elevators and escalators.
The Japanese consortium undertaking the rehabilitation will also be the one to decide on how to maintain 42 of 48 Dalian LRVs still sitting unused at the MRT-3 depot, according to DOTr officials.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/01/07/mrt-3-rehab-to-start-soon/
Monday, January 7, 2019
3rd set of Dalian trains to hit MRT-3 tracks soon
Another set of trains purchased from Chinese firm, CCRC Dalian, is set to be deployed to the rail line of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“(The) commissioning of the third train set is ongoing. This will be deployed to the mainline for validation testing by February,” DOTr communications director, Godess Hope Libiran, said in a text message to reporters Monday.
The train set will be undergoing a 1,000 kilometer-test run for 150 hours before these are deployed during peak hours of the MRT-3’s operations.
Once the validation testing is concluded, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will evaluate if the train set can be utilized for the regular operations of the railway system.
“If PNR endorses that the train set be allowed to run regularly at the MRT-3 mainline, MRT-3 will sign an acceptance document,” according to Libiran.
The MRT-3 has deployed its first train set, which consists of three cars from Oct. 27 to Nov. 21 last year, while another was deployed from December 11 to 23, 2018.
A total of 48 Dalian light rail vehicles were delivered to the country in 2016 but were not deployed to the MRT line due to compatibility issues.
Supplier CCRC Dalian eventually agreed to absorb the costs for the adjustments of the trains.
This development comes as the MRT management starts the rehabilitation of the railway system and its facilities this month.
The upgrade of the MRT-3 will take about 43 months, with the first 26 months focused on the rehabilitation of the entire system.
The 16-kilometer MRT rail line from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City currently accommodates an average of 300,000 passengers per day.
http://www.canadianinquirer.net/2019/01/07/3rd-set-of-dalian-trains-to-hit-mrt-3-tracks-soon/
“(The) commissioning of the third train set is ongoing. This will be deployed to the mainline for validation testing by February,” DOTr communications director, Godess Hope Libiran, said in a text message to reporters Monday.
The train set will be undergoing a 1,000 kilometer-test run for 150 hours before these are deployed during peak hours of the MRT-3’s operations.
Once the validation testing is concluded, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will evaluate if the train set can be utilized for the regular operations of the railway system.
“If PNR endorses that the train set be allowed to run regularly at the MRT-3 mainline, MRT-3 will sign an acceptance document,” according to Libiran.
The MRT-3 has deployed its first train set, which consists of three cars from Oct. 27 to Nov. 21 last year, while another was deployed from December 11 to 23, 2018.
A total of 48 Dalian light rail vehicles were delivered to the country in 2016 but were not deployed to the MRT line due to compatibility issues.
Supplier CCRC Dalian eventually agreed to absorb the costs for the adjustments of the trains.
This development comes as the MRT management starts the rehabilitation of the railway system and its facilities this month.
The upgrade of the MRT-3 will take about 43 months, with the first 26 months focused on the rehabilitation of the entire system.
The 16-kilometer MRT rail line from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City currently accommodates an average of 300,000 passengers per day.
http://www.canadianinquirer.net/2019/01/07/3rd-set-of-dalian-trains-to-hit-mrt-3-tracks-soon/
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Gov’t kicks off 3-year rehab for glitch-ridden MRT-3
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has assured commuters of better Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) service as it kicks off the three-year rehabilitation of the glitch-ridden train system.
DOTr Undersecretary for rails TJ Batan said the service provider Sumitomo and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) are set to begin the rehabilitation of the original 72 light rail vehicles of the MRT-3 by the end of this month.
“We are fixing the trains, railway, power supply, catenary system, signaling, communications so that the MRT-3 will be able to operate smoothly,” Batan said in an interview.
The DOTr terminated the MRT-3’s service contract with its previous service provider Busan Universal Rail Inc. in 2017 due to its alleged poor performance that paved the way for the comeback of Sumitomo and MHI.
Batan added that its service providers are also studying the maintenance of the 48 Dalian trains procured by the former administration and use them while the rehabilitation is being conducted.
“We will maintain, at least, and maximize the use of 15 trains during peak hours,” Batan said.
Meanwhile, the MRT-3 reported zero technical problem and zero unloading incident yesterday with six operational and running trains deployed on non-peak hours and 12 to 13 trains during the rush hours.
Sumitomo and MHI designed and built the MRT-3 system from 1989 to 2000 and maintained it from 2000 to 2012, according to the DOTr.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/01/06/1882604/govt-kicks-3-year-rehab-glitch-ridden-mrt-3
DOTr Undersecretary for rails TJ Batan said the service provider Sumitomo and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) are set to begin the rehabilitation of the original 72 light rail vehicles of the MRT-3 by the end of this month.
“We are fixing the trains, railway, power supply, catenary system, signaling, communications so that the MRT-3 will be able to operate smoothly,” Batan said in an interview.
The DOTr terminated the MRT-3’s service contract with its previous service provider Busan Universal Rail Inc. in 2017 due to its alleged poor performance that paved the way for the comeback of Sumitomo and MHI.
Batan added that its service providers are also studying the maintenance of the 48 Dalian trains procured by the former administration and use them while the rehabilitation is being conducted.
“We will maintain, at least, and maximize the use of 15 trains during peak hours,” Batan said.
Meanwhile, the MRT-3 reported zero technical problem and zero unloading incident yesterday with six operational and running trains deployed on non-peak hours and 12 to 13 trains during the rush hours.
Sumitomo and MHI designed and built the MRT-3 system from 1989 to 2000 and maintained it from 2000 to 2012, according to the DOTr.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/01/06/1882604/govt-kicks-3-year-rehab-glitch-ridden-mrt-3
Friday, January 4, 2019
MRT-3 overhaul repair to start soon
The rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) will start this month and is expected to end after more than three years, according to a report on Unang Balita.
Officials said there is a need to overhaul the transport system, which has 72 light rail vehicles.
The repairs will include the rails, power supply, signalling system, public address system and the CCTV Network.
Also included in the repair program are the escalators and elevators of the 13 train terminals.
The work on the MRT-3 will be affecting about 300,000 passengers a day.
However, officials said, the agency will maintain at least 15 running trains every day.
Additional LRVs will be added as the as the repair work progresses.
If there would be a need to suspend operations due to the repair work, this would be scheduled on a holiday.
Officials also assured, there will be no fare hike as the system undergoes the needed repairs. — BAP, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/680298/mrt-3-overhaul-repair-to-start-soon/story/
Officials said there is a need to overhaul the transport system, which has 72 light rail vehicles.
The repairs will include the rails, power supply, signalling system, public address system and the CCTV Network.
Also included in the repair program are the escalators and elevators of the 13 train terminals.
The work on the MRT-3 will be affecting about 300,000 passengers a day.
However, officials said, the agency will maintain at least 15 running trains every day.
Additional LRVs will be added as the as the repair work progresses.
If there would be a need to suspend operations due to the repair work, this would be scheduled on a holiday.
Officials also assured, there will be no fare hike as the system undergoes the needed repairs. — BAP, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/680298/mrt-3-overhaul-repair-to-start-soon/story/
YEARENDER 2018: A year of hits and misses for DOTr
It was a year of hits and misses for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as far as delivering its promises of bringing change in the lives of Filipino commuters and the general public that use various mode of land, sea and air transport.
Solving the country’s transportation woes is no easy task and as the DOTr puts it, no single solution could address the numerous issues, but instead, it would require a basket of solutions.
The man currently at the helm in undertaking this gargantuan effort, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, has set very high standards for his agency to accomplish. These standards often entail timetables that even the transportation chief himself admits are hard to meet.
“Ako pag nagse-set ng targets yung mahirap. Kaya pag lumagpas ng konti yung target, please don’t say na hindi namin ginagawa yung trabaho namin. Mahirap po ako mag-set ng target, ask the people in our office,” Tugade said.
As a result, the agency has had a number of missed targets in 2018 that range from scheduled project groundbreakings to loan agreement signings and actual start of project operations. However, it also had its fair share of hits.
So if one would ask the agency for an assessment on how it fared last year as far as the pace of the rollout of the Build Build Build projects under its belt, the DOTr would have given itself a pat on the back.
“The DOTr is very much satisfied with the pace of the rollout of the BBB projects in 2018, as numerous projects under the program were finished and inaugurated last year. These include big-ticket projects across our aviation, roads, railways, and maritime sectors,” it said.
Commuters traversing the busy roads of Metro Manila, however, may have a different opinion on the matter based on their daily experience.
Last February, the Japan International Cooperation Agency reported that the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila is now costing the country P3.5 billion in missed economic opportunities daily, a significant rise from the previous estimate of P2.4 billion in 2014.
The DOTr said it continues to work on a basket of solutions to provide not only safe and comfortable transport, but also improved connectivity and enhanced mobility to Filipinos, not only for the roads sector, but also for railways, aviation, and maritime sectors.
DOTr communications director Goddes Hope Libiran said considered as among the most important DOTr-led undertakings last year is the MRT-3 rehabilitation project, which she said turned out to be the fastest loan processing the Duterte administration has completed by far.
In November, the Philippines and Japan signed the P18-billion loan agreement for the rehabilitation of the MRT-3. The project will run until 2022, and covers the rehabilitation and maintenance of the system’s electromechanical components, power supply, rail tracks, depot equipment, and overhaul of its 72 18-year old light rail vehicles.
“The MRT-3 is integral to the mobility and connectivity of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos shuttling across cities mostly for work and school. Once rehabilitated, the MRT-3 will increase its number of operating train sets from the current 15 to 20 at peak hours, increase train operating speed from 30 kilometers per hour to 60 kilometers per hour, and slash by half the time between trains from the current seven to 10 minutes to up to 3.5 minutes. All these will significantly improve train service and commuter experience on this railway line,” Libiran said.
For the aviation sector, the agency considers the inauguration last year of a new Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system, a state-of-the-art computer and satellite-based air traffic management technology similar to those being used in other countries, as a significant milestone.
The CNS/ATM system brings better air traffic flow and space management, thereby optimizing airport capacity and harnessing efficient use of airspace that will, in turn, minimize flight delays.
A key achievement in the maritime sector last year, the DOTr said, was the reopening in October of the Davao to Manila passenger shipping route. The re-establishment of ferry operations from Davao to Manila and vice versa aims to address the lack of an accessible and affordable passenger shipping route that has been unavailable for almost 10 years.
Aside from embarking on and completing a number of key projects, Libiran said the DOTr has also surmounted several major challenges last year and successfully settled longstanding issues that have beleaguered the agency during the previous administration.
“When the Duterte administration took over, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was still infamously known as one of the world’s worst airports. Today, NAIA ranks 10th among the most improved airports in the world. Gone, too, are the days of ‘laglag-bala’ modus,” she said.
On the Northrail-Sinomach case, the DOTr said the government was supposed to pay over P5 billion in claims and legal fees, but the matter has already been cleared, as both parties have agreed to waive claims against each other.
“The Duterte administration also inherited a three-million backlog in driver’s licenses, and applicants had to contend then with paper receipts to allow them to drive a vehicle without being apprehended. As of end November, the Land Transportation Office has printed a total of 7,640,323 driver’s license cards with five-year validity and armed with 32 security features designed to end the proliferation of fake licenses,” Libiran said.
But along with the list of achievements also came some mishaps, foremost of which was the controversial Xiamen incident in August where a Chinese passenger aircraft veered off the NAIA runway and affected close to 200,000 passengers due to hundreds of delayed and cancelled flights.
Following the incident, the DOTr has moved to review its current protocols and processes in the airport sector, and at the same time, ensure the modernization of the country’s airports through the DOTr aviation roadmap.
The Xiamen incident, according to Tugade, served as an “eye opener” as it exposed the country’s urgent need to rehabilitate the NAIA and build other international gateways, such as those in Bulacan and Sangley.
Tugade had wanted to complete the Swiss Challenge process for the three unsolicited airport proposals but it seemed not even one would be finished before the year ends.
“Kilala nyo naman ako. Ang gusto ko matapos ito lahat within the year,” Tugade previously said.
The DOTr is still finalizing the concession agreement for the Bulacan International Airport unsolicited proposal of San Miguel Holdings Corp. The proposed airport will have four parallel runways and a passenger terminal building that can accommodate 100 million passengers per year once completed in four to six years.
Talks also continue for the Sangley Airport, with the DOTr agreeing to the proposal submitted by the local government unit of Cavite. It is envisioned that the Sangley Airport will accommodate 70 million passengers annually.
As for the rehabilitation of the NAIA, the Manila International Airport Authority board approved in August the grant of original proponent status to the NAIA Consortium composed of some of the country’s biggest conglomerates, namely Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
All these airport projects are aimed at decongesting NAIA, the country’s main international gateway, which at present handles far more passengers than it was built for, having a capacity for 31 million passengers per year but handled 42 million last year.
Moving forward to 2019, the DOTr looks to accomplish more of its ambitious targets that would enable more Filipinos to experience positive change in the aviation, roads, railways, and maritime sectors.
The agency said big-ticket projects to be started this year include the PNR Bicol, LRT Line 1 Railway (Extension), Subic Clark Cargo Railway, and the MRT-3 Rehabilitation project.
Meanwhile, projects to be completed this year include the Davao Sasa Port Phase I (August 2019), Isabela Port in Basilan (November 2019), Malalag Port (May 2019), Road Transport Information Technology Infrastructure Phase I, Construction of Sheltered Port in Brgy. Pag-asa, Kalayaan, and the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project Phase I.
“Expect the DOTr to build, build, build in 2019. Our sleeves are all rolled up for projects across the four transportation sectors,” Libiran said.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/01/04/1882073/yearender-2018-year-hits-and-misses-dotr
Solving the country’s transportation woes is no easy task and as the DOTr puts it, no single solution could address the numerous issues, but instead, it would require a basket of solutions.
The man currently at the helm in undertaking this gargantuan effort, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, has set very high standards for his agency to accomplish. These standards often entail timetables that even the transportation chief himself admits are hard to meet.
“Ako pag nagse-set ng targets yung mahirap. Kaya pag lumagpas ng konti yung target, please don’t say na hindi namin ginagawa yung trabaho namin. Mahirap po ako mag-set ng target, ask the people in our office,” Tugade said.
As a result, the agency has had a number of missed targets in 2018 that range from scheduled project groundbreakings to loan agreement signings and actual start of project operations. However, it also had its fair share of hits.
So if one would ask the agency for an assessment on how it fared last year as far as the pace of the rollout of the Build Build Build projects under its belt, the DOTr would have given itself a pat on the back.
“The DOTr is very much satisfied with the pace of the rollout of the BBB projects in 2018, as numerous projects under the program were finished and inaugurated last year. These include big-ticket projects across our aviation, roads, railways, and maritime sectors,” it said.
Commuters traversing the busy roads of Metro Manila, however, may have a different opinion on the matter based on their daily experience.
Last February, the Japan International Cooperation Agency reported that the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila is now costing the country P3.5 billion in missed economic opportunities daily, a significant rise from the previous estimate of P2.4 billion in 2014.
The DOTr said it continues to work on a basket of solutions to provide not only safe and comfortable transport, but also improved connectivity and enhanced mobility to Filipinos, not only for the roads sector, but also for railways, aviation, and maritime sectors.
DOTr communications director Goddes Hope Libiran said considered as among the most important DOTr-led undertakings last year is the MRT-3 rehabilitation project, which she said turned out to be the fastest loan processing the Duterte administration has completed by far.
In November, the Philippines and Japan signed the P18-billion loan agreement for the rehabilitation of the MRT-3. The project will run until 2022, and covers the rehabilitation and maintenance of the system’s electromechanical components, power supply, rail tracks, depot equipment, and overhaul of its 72 18-year old light rail vehicles.
“The MRT-3 is integral to the mobility and connectivity of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos shuttling across cities mostly for work and school. Once rehabilitated, the MRT-3 will increase its number of operating train sets from the current 15 to 20 at peak hours, increase train operating speed from 30 kilometers per hour to 60 kilometers per hour, and slash by half the time between trains from the current seven to 10 minutes to up to 3.5 minutes. All these will significantly improve train service and commuter experience on this railway line,” Libiran said.
For the aviation sector, the agency considers the inauguration last year of a new Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system, a state-of-the-art computer and satellite-based air traffic management technology similar to those being used in other countries, as a significant milestone.
The CNS/ATM system brings better air traffic flow and space management, thereby optimizing airport capacity and harnessing efficient use of airspace that will, in turn, minimize flight delays.
A key achievement in the maritime sector last year, the DOTr said, was the reopening in October of the Davao to Manila passenger shipping route. The re-establishment of ferry operations from Davao to Manila and vice versa aims to address the lack of an accessible and affordable passenger shipping route that has been unavailable for almost 10 years.
Aside from embarking on and completing a number of key projects, Libiran said the DOTr has also surmounted several major challenges last year and successfully settled longstanding issues that have beleaguered the agency during the previous administration.
“When the Duterte administration took over, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was still infamously known as one of the world’s worst airports. Today, NAIA ranks 10th among the most improved airports in the world. Gone, too, are the days of ‘laglag-bala’ modus,” she said.
On the Northrail-Sinomach case, the DOTr said the government was supposed to pay over P5 billion in claims and legal fees, but the matter has already been cleared, as both parties have agreed to waive claims against each other.
“The Duterte administration also inherited a three-million backlog in driver’s licenses, and applicants had to contend then with paper receipts to allow them to drive a vehicle without being apprehended. As of end November, the Land Transportation Office has printed a total of 7,640,323 driver’s license cards with five-year validity and armed with 32 security features designed to end the proliferation of fake licenses,” Libiran said.
But along with the list of achievements also came some mishaps, foremost of which was the controversial Xiamen incident in August where a Chinese passenger aircraft veered off the NAIA runway and affected close to 200,000 passengers due to hundreds of delayed and cancelled flights.
Following the incident, the DOTr has moved to review its current protocols and processes in the airport sector, and at the same time, ensure the modernization of the country’s airports through the DOTr aviation roadmap.
The Xiamen incident, according to Tugade, served as an “eye opener” as it exposed the country’s urgent need to rehabilitate the NAIA and build other international gateways, such as those in Bulacan and Sangley.
Tugade had wanted to complete the Swiss Challenge process for the three unsolicited airport proposals but it seemed not even one would be finished before the year ends.
“Kilala nyo naman ako. Ang gusto ko matapos ito lahat within the year,” Tugade previously said.
The DOTr is still finalizing the concession agreement for the Bulacan International Airport unsolicited proposal of San Miguel Holdings Corp. The proposed airport will have four parallel runways and a passenger terminal building that can accommodate 100 million passengers per year once completed in four to six years.
Talks also continue for the Sangley Airport, with the DOTr agreeing to the proposal submitted by the local government unit of Cavite. It is envisioned that the Sangley Airport will accommodate 70 million passengers annually.
As for the rehabilitation of the NAIA, the Manila International Airport Authority board approved in August the grant of original proponent status to the NAIA Consortium composed of some of the country’s biggest conglomerates, namely Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
All these airport projects are aimed at decongesting NAIA, the country’s main international gateway, which at present handles far more passengers than it was built for, having a capacity for 31 million passengers per year but handled 42 million last year.
Moving forward to 2019, the DOTr looks to accomplish more of its ambitious targets that would enable more Filipinos to experience positive change in the aviation, roads, railways, and maritime sectors.
The agency said big-ticket projects to be started this year include the PNR Bicol, LRT Line 1 Railway (Extension), Subic Clark Cargo Railway, and the MRT-3 Rehabilitation project.
Meanwhile, projects to be completed this year include the Davao Sasa Port Phase I (August 2019), Isabela Port in Basilan (November 2019), Malalag Port (May 2019), Road Transport Information Technology Infrastructure Phase I, Construction of Sheltered Port in Brgy. Pag-asa, Kalayaan, and the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project Phase I.
“Expect the DOTr to build, build, build in 2019. Our sleeves are all rolled up for projects across the four transportation sectors,” Libiran said.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/01/04/1882073/yearender-2018-year-hits-and-misses-dotr
Sumitomo asked to start MRT 3 rehabilitation in ‘19
The Department of Transportation said it expects Sumitomo Corp. of Japan to start the rehabilitation and maintenance of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 system in 2019.
The department and Sumitomo earlier signed a contract for the rehabilitation and maintenance of MRT 3 system, which will cover the entire 16.9-kilometer line, all its 13 stations, the remaining 72 light rail vehicles and the MRT-3 Depot on North Avenue, Quezon City.
“All sub-systems will be restored, renewed or upgraded, including MRT-3’s track works, signaling system, power supply system, overhead catenary system, communications system, and maintenance and station equipment,” the DOTr said.
The agency said the rehabilitation period for the MRT-3 was expected to last 43 months.
The government signed a P18-billion loan agreement with the government of Japan in November for the MRT 3 system’s rehabilitation and maintenance.
The Transportation Department in September 2017 granted the original proponent status to a group led by Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which submitted the unsolicited bid for the rehabilitation and O&M of MRT 3.
The consortium of MPIC and Ayala Corp. submitted an unsolicited proposal to DOTr to upgrade and rehabilitate MRT 3 for P12.5 billion.
The consortium is also looking at buying out the stake of the government and private investors in MRT 3.
The government through Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines own a combined 80-percent economic interest in MRT 3, while the balance is held by creditors of Metro Rail Transit Corp.
MPIC in 2011 offered to buy out the shares of Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines in MRT 3 for $1.1 billion.
MPIC also submitted a proposal to the Department of Transportation in 2011 to invest $524 million to rehabilitate and upgrade MRT 3.
The Aquino administration, however, rejected Metro Pacific’s offer that would involve raising commuter fares.
MRT 3, which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, serves over 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.
The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars.
http://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/284200/sumitomo-asked-to-start-mrt-3-rehabilitation-in-19.html
The department and Sumitomo earlier signed a contract for the rehabilitation and maintenance of MRT 3 system, which will cover the entire 16.9-kilometer line, all its 13 stations, the remaining 72 light rail vehicles and the MRT-3 Depot on North Avenue, Quezon City.
“All sub-systems will be restored, renewed or upgraded, including MRT-3’s track works, signaling system, power supply system, overhead catenary system, communications system, and maintenance and station equipment,” the DOTr said.
The agency said the rehabilitation period for the MRT-3 was expected to last 43 months.
The government signed a P18-billion loan agreement with the government of Japan in November for the MRT 3 system’s rehabilitation and maintenance.
The Transportation Department in September 2017 granted the original proponent status to a group led by Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which submitted the unsolicited bid for the rehabilitation and O&M of MRT 3.
The consortium of MPIC and Ayala Corp. submitted an unsolicited proposal to DOTr to upgrade and rehabilitate MRT 3 for P12.5 billion.
The consortium is also looking at buying out the stake of the government and private investors in MRT 3.
The government through Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines own a combined 80-percent economic interest in MRT 3, while the balance is held by creditors of Metro Rail Transit Corp.
MPIC in 2011 offered to buy out the shares of Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines in MRT 3 for $1.1 billion.
MPIC also submitted a proposal to the Department of Transportation in 2011 to invest $524 million to rehabilitate and upgrade MRT 3.
The Aquino administration, however, rejected Metro Pacific’s offer that would involve raising commuter fares.
MRT 3, which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, serves over 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.
The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars.
http://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/284200/sumitomo-asked-to-start-mrt-3-rehabilitation-in-19.html
Thursday, January 3, 2019
3-year MRT 3 rehab to start this month
Commuters, brace yourself: the multibillion-peso rehabilitation work on Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 is set to begin between the last week of January and the first week of February, and will last up to 43 months, including periodic maintenance.
The rehab work will start with the 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs) that make up the entire MRT 3 fleet, and will be undertaken by the Japanese consortium Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Corp. using the P18-billion loan from the Japanese government.
To avoid inconvenience to MRT 3’s 360,000 riders, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it would keep the average number of operational trains at 15 and gradually raise that number during the 26-month overhaul, said DOTr communications director Goddes Libiran.
Transportation Undersecretary for Rails TJ Batan earlier said the agency hoped to eventually reach a maximum of 20 trains running at 60 km per hour by the 26th month.
Maintenance
The rest of the rehabilitation period will cover periodic maintenance and rehabilitation, including the restoration and overhaul of the line’s power supply, overhead catenary system, signaling system, tracks, closed-circuit television camera and public address systems, as well as its elevators and escalators.
The DOTr has yet to release details on the rehabilitation work to be undertaken by the Japanese consortium, the original maintenance provider for MRT 3 when it started operating in 1999.
Transportation officials who protested the high maintenance fees that Sumitomo was charging replaced the company in 2012.
As for the 42 of 48 Dalian LRVs still sitting unused at the MRT 3 depot, Libiran said Sumitomo would decide how to maintain the trains once the consortium takes over.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1068970/3-year-mrt-3-rehab-to-start-this-month
The rehab work will start with the 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs) that make up the entire MRT 3 fleet, and will be undertaken by the Japanese consortium Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Corp. using the P18-billion loan from the Japanese government.
To avoid inconvenience to MRT 3’s 360,000 riders, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it would keep the average number of operational trains at 15 and gradually raise that number during the 26-month overhaul, said DOTr communications director Goddes Libiran.
Transportation Undersecretary for Rails TJ Batan earlier said the agency hoped to eventually reach a maximum of 20 trains running at 60 km per hour by the 26th month.
Maintenance
The rest of the rehabilitation period will cover periodic maintenance and rehabilitation, including the restoration and overhaul of the line’s power supply, overhead catenary system, signaling system, tracks, closed-circuit television camera and public address systems, as well as its elevators and escalators.
The DOTr has yet to release details on the rehabilitation work to be undertaken by the Japanese consortium, the original maintenance provider for MRT 3 when it started operating in 1999.
Transportation officials who protested the high maintenance fees that Sumitomo was charging replaced the company in 2012.
As for the 42 of 48 Dalian LRVs still sitting unused at the MRT 3 depot, Libiran said Sumitomo would decide how to maintain the trains once the consortium takes over.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1068970/3-year-mrt-3-rehab-to-start-this-month
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