New MRT-3 rails from Japan to arrive by Q3 2019

By Aerol John Pateña

JAPANESE RAILS. Rails manufactured by Japanese steel firm Nippon Steel are set to arrive in the country by third quarter of this year as part of ongoing rehabilitation activities of the MRT-3. (Photo courtesy of Department of Transportation)

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday said the new rails from Japan are expected to arrive in the Philippines within the third quarter of this year amid the ongoing rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3).

“Over 50 percent of the rails are ready for shipment from Japan, and are expected to arrive in the Philippines in the third quarter of this year (July - August 2019) — several months earlier than its scheduled date of delivery,” the DOTr said in a statement.

Upon arrival at the Port of Manila, the Nippon Steel-made rails will be delivered and prepared for installation at the tracks’ laydown yard near the Parañaque Integrated Transport Exchange.

The DOTr said it expects the MRT-3 trains to be running smoothly with the repair of its wheel lathe machine last March and the upcoming replacement of all its mainline tracks.

“With the repair of MRT-3’s wheel lathe machine last March and the upcoming replacement of all of MRT-3’s mainline tracks, MRT-3’s will be running smoother and with less vibration. Vibration is one of the enemies of any mechanical and electrical equipment, and is one of the causes of MRT-3’s breakdowns in the past,” the DOTr’s statement read.

The DOTr’s Factory Acceptance Test team headed by MRT Director for Operations Michael Capati, accompanied by Asian Development Bank rail expert Peter Raeside and TES Philippines chairman Kiyoshi Morita, visited Japanese steel firm Nippon Steel in Fukuoka, Japan last Thursday to inspect the new rails that will be installed on the MRT tracks.

The consortium of Sumitomo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and TES Philippines (Sumitomo-MHI-TESP) said earlier parts of the light rail vehicles for the railway system will arrive in July while tracks and signaling components are set to be delivered in August.

Sumitomo-MHI-TESP will undertake the overhaul of all 72 light rail vehicles of the MRT-3, replace all mainline tracks, rehabilitate power and overhead catenary systems, upgrade the signaling system, communications and CCTV systems, and repair all of MRT-3’s escalators and elevators, among other system repairs and improvements.

The MRT rehabilitation project is seen to increase the number of operating trains from 15 to 20 at peak hours, double the train operating speed from 30 to 60 kilometers per hour, reduce by half the headway or waiting time from 7-10 minutes to just 3.5 minutes and increase train capacity from an average of 300,000 passengers per day to 650,000 passengers daily.

The project is expected to last for 43 months with rehabilitation works slated for completion within the first 26 months.

The Sumitomo-MHI-TESP took over the maintenance and rehabilitation of the MRT-3 last May from the MRT Maintenance Transition Team of the DOTr. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1072999

Japan commits 1.3 trillion yen to help build railways in PH

The Japanese government through its aid arm Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has pledged to lend 1.3 trillion yen (about P620 billion) to the Philippines to build more railways and ease traffic congestion.

Jica Philippines senior representative Kiyo Kawabuchi told a press conference Thursday the aid agency already committed official development assistance (ODA) loans worth 400-billion yen for railway projects.

In a statement, Jica said the following projects were now using Jica financing: Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Cavite Extension; LRT Line 2 East Extension; Metro Manila Subway; Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 Rehabilitation; and North-South Commuter Railway.

Kawabuchi said Jica would have to add 900 billion yen more to its lending program for the Philippines to complete the ongoing railway projects.

“For the railway sector, in itself is quite a huge amount,” she noted.

Kawabuchi said Jica’s ODA in the Philippines’ railway sector “aims to impact on wealth being distributed to other areas outside Metro Manila through investments and jobs.”

“Once completed, these transport infrastructure projects will help realize the shared vision of Jica and the Philippines towards reduced traffic congestion, seamless mobility, and better quality of life of many Filipinos,” she said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aimed to triple the total length of Metro Manila’s railway lines to 244 kilometers from 79 kilometers at present.

“Major cities in the world like Tokyo, Seoul, New York, and London have 400-800 kilometers of railways to keep up with urbanization and enhance mobility. The Philippines’ ongoing railway projects could therefore help address growing passenger demand and attract relevant investments into the country,” Jica said.

Jica estimates released last year showed traffic in Metro Manila was already equal to P3.5 billion in lost opportunities a day, up from P2.4 billion in 2014. —BEN O. DE VERA

https://business.inquirer.net/272961/japan-commits-1-3-trillion-yen-to-help-build-railways-in-ph

JICA supports five railway projects with P285-B loans

By Emmie Abadilla

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is supporting five priority railway projects of the Duterte administration with a total loan commitment of 595 billion yen (approximately P285 billion).

This covers the first tranche of the Metro Manila Subway Project, North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project (and the first tranche of the Extension Project), Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Rehabilitation Project, Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Cavite Extension Project, and LRT Line 2 East Extension Project.

The Philippine government, through the Department of Transportation (DOTr), jump-started the construction of the railway projects to expand Metro Manila’s current 79-kilometer railway lines to 244 kilometers including links to surrounding areas.

Major cities in the world like Tokyo, Seoul, New York, and London have as much as 400 to 800 kilometers of railways to keep up with urbanization and enhance mobility.

The Philippines’ ongoing railway projects could help address growing passenger demand and attract investments, according to JICA.

“JICA’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the railway sector aims to impact on wealth being distributed to other areas outside Metro Manila through investments and jobs,” JICA Philippines Senior Representative Kiyo Kawabuchi pointed out.

“Once completed, these transport infrastructure projects will help realize the shared vision of JICA and the Philippines towards reduced traffic congestion, seamless mobility, and better quality of life of many Filipinos.”

The JICA is the executing agency of Japanese ODA, which handles technical cooperation, ODA loans, and investment, grant aid, as well as cooperation volunteers and disaster relief programs.

JICA is the world’s largest bilateral aid agency with its volume of cooperation amounting to about USD 19.57 billion for JFY 2017 and a worldwide network of about 100 overseas offices including the Philippines.

Railway projects form part of the transport interventions identified in the JICA 2014 study Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila which the Philippine government adopted.

Aside from railways, the roadmap identified developing urban roads, expressways, and traffic management among the critical priorities to decongest traffic, and expand economic opportunities.

In 2017, the JICA Follow Up Survey on the Roadmap cited that the “Build, Build, Build” program of the government could help curb the P3.5 billion transportation costs due to traffic.

JICA supports several infrastructure projects of the government, including the Metro Manila Subway Project, and the LRT Line Extension Projects.

To date, design studies for the Metro Manila Subway Project are ongoing. JICA also supports the implementation of the NSCR Project, while the rehabilitation and maintenance of the MRT-3 is already being implemented.

The agency likewise supports capacity building in railway management under the ongoing Philippine Railway Institute (PRI) project. The PRI will act as a training center for railway operators in the country.

“Japan is sharing its knowledge on safety and stable train operation technology that we improved from our experience with past accidents,” according to Hideharu Igarashi, the Japanese expert dispatched to the DOTr.

“We are also sharing our best practices on how quality railway infrastructure can also mean more people commuting via trains and good revenues for non-rail businesses.”

Japan has one of the highest shares of rail users in the world, with 30 percent of commuters in Greater Tokyo taking the train, or more than 2 million passengers during the morning peak hours. This is higher than railway commuting in European countries like Switzerland and Austria to cite a few.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/20/jica-supports-five-railway-projects-with-p285-b-loans/