Monday, January 31, 2022
Sunday, January 30, 2022
Metro Channel sked (January 30-February 5, 2022)
Sunday, January 30
- 05:55 - Morning Song
- 06:00 - News
- 06:05 - Battle of the Senses
- 07:00 - News
- 07:05 - The Chef In My Bedroom
- 08:00 - Anchors With Passport
- 08:30 - Anchors With Passport (Sr. 2)
- 09:00 - News
- 09:05 - Art and Culture Magazine
- 09:30 - Mashin Sentai Kiramager
- 10:00 - News
- 10:05 - Cat's Eye Science
- 10:30 - Ask Master Joe
- 11:00 - News
- 11:05 - On the Record
- 11:30 - Homemade Therapy
- 11:55 - TV Easy
- 12:00 - News
- 12:10 - Bazaar Carnivals
- 13:00 - News
- 13:05 - Animals Decoded
- 14:00 - News
- 14:05 - Killing Eve#5
- 14:55 - Straight Talk
- 15:20 - Little Malabar
- 15:30 - Showers of Blessing
- 16:00 - News
- 16:05 - The Zoo
- 16:30 - Are You Tougher Than Your Ancestors?
- 17:00 - News
- 17:05 - Our Family
- 17:30 - News of the Wild
- 18:00 - News
- 18:10 - Wild Kratts
- 18:40 - Nate Is Late
- 19:30 - Scoop
- 20:00 - News
- 20:05 - Pearl Magazine
- 20:30 - America's Got Talent (21:00 News)
- 21:25 - 101 Easy Japanese
- 21:30 - Studio 930:Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (00:00 News)
- 00:32 - Jade Solid Gold
- 00:47 - News Roundup and Weather Report
- 01:07 - Dolce Vita
- 01:37 - Late Late Show: Resident Evil Apocalypse (02:00 News)
- 03:10 - Bullet and Brain
- 05:00 - End
- 05:55 - Morning Song
- 06:00 - Good Morning Hong Kong
- 09:00 - Inside the Stock Exchange
- 09:45 - JSG Song Video Corner
- 09:50 - Happy Old Buddies
- 10:00 - News
- 10:05 - A Kindred Spirit
- 10:30 - The Family
- 11:30 - TV Easy and News Headlines
- 11:35 - Inside the Stock Exchange
- 11:45 - Young Charioteers
- 12:40 - TV Easy
- 12:45 - Inside the Stock Exchange
- 12:55 - Finding Land II
- 13:00 - Noon News
- 13:15 - Earth Live
- 13:20 - Big City Shop (14:00 News)
- 14:40 - TV Easy
- 14:45 - The Stunt (15:00 News)
- 15:45 - Gaist Crusher (16:00 News)
- 16:15 - Chibimaruko Chan
- 16:50 - Hands Up (17:00 News)
- 17:20 - Doraemon
- 17:50 - Financial News
- 18:00 - News
- 18:10 - Bright Torch
- 18:40 - TV Patrol
- 19:20 - Global View
- 19:25 - Weather Report and Finding Land II
- 19:30 - Scoop
- 20:00 - News
- 20:05 - Money Matters
- 20:30 - MasterChef Legends (21:00 News)
- 21:20 - Peanuts
- 21:30 - Studio 930:Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (22:00 News)
- 23:41 - Financial Bulletin
- 23:46 - NEWS ROUNDUP (PEARL)
- 00:16 - Weather Report
- 00:21 - Entertainment This Week
- 01:21 - Money Matters
- 01:51 - Dolce Vita
- 02:21 - Late Late Show:Resident Evil Extinction
- 03:55 - CHINA 24
- 04:45 - Market Overview
- 05:00 - Fireplace
- 06:00 - Good Morning Hong Kong
- 09:00 - Happy Old Buddies
- 09:10 - TVB Anniversary Gala Show
- 11:50 - Gong Xi Fa Cai good luck
- 12:50 - Finding Land II
- 13:00 - Noon News
- 13:15 - Earth Live
- 13:20 - Big City Shop (14:00 News)
- 14:40 - TV Easy
- 14:45 - The Stunt (15:00 News)
- 15:45 - Gaist Crusher (16:00 News)
- 16:15 - Chibimaruko Chan
- 16:50 - Hands Up (17:00 News)
- 17:20 - Doraemon
- 17:50 - Financial News
- 18:00 - News
- 18:10 - Bright Torch
- 18:40 - TV Patrol
- 19:20 - Global View
- 19:25 - Weather Report and Finding Land II
- 19:30 - Scoop
- 20:00 - News
- 20:05 - Straight Talk
- 20:30 - MasterChef Legends (21:00 News)
- 21:20 - Peanuts
- 21:30 - A Dream Home Planning
- 22:00 - The World Tonight
- 22:15 - Weather Report
- 22:20 - 72 Tenants of Prosperity (23:00/00:00 News)
- 00:30 - A General, A Scholar and A Eunuch
- 03:25 - Big City Shop
- 04:45 - Prankenstein
- 05:15 - Grandpa's Festival Feast
- 05:35 - A Chef And A Gentleman
Wednesday, February 2
- 06:00 - Good Morning Hong Kong
- 09:00 - JSG Song Video Corner
- 09:05 - Happy Old Buddies
- 09:15 -
- 09:45 - TVB Anniversary Awards
- 12:50 - Searching for Land II
- 13:00 - Noon News
- 13:15 - Earth Live
- 13:20 - Big City Shop (14:00 News)
- 14:40 - TV Easy
- 14:45 - The Stunt (15:00 News)
- 15:45 - Gaist Crusher (16:00 News)
- 16:15 - Chibimaruko Chan
- 16:50 - Hands Up (17:00 News)
- 17:20 - Doraemon
- 17:50 - Financial News
- 18:00 - News
- 18:10 - China in couplets
- 18:40 - TV Patrol
- 19:20 - Global View
- 19:25 - Weather Report and Finding Land II
- 19:30 - Scoop
- 20:00 - News
- 20:05 - Innovation Nation
- 20:30 - MasterChef Legends (21:00 News)
- 21:20 - Peanuts
- 21:30 - Studio 930:Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- 00:30 - NEWS ROUNDUP (PEARL)
- 00:50 - Earth Live and Today In History
- 00:55 - Entertainment Tonight
- 01:25 - Racing To Win
- 02:55 - Late Late Show:Resident Evil: Retribution
- 04:30 - CHINA 24
- 05:30 - End
Saturday, January 29, 2022
Friday, January 28, 2022
NTC says ABS-CBN may be last on list; frequencies granted on 'first come, first serve' basis
It might take a while for broadcast giant ABS-CBN to secure its own frequencies after the government reallocated its former channels to other broadcasting firms.
In an interview with CNN Philippines' The Source on Friday, National Telecommunications Commission Deputy Commissioner Ed Cabarios shared his view when asked whether ABS-CBN would likely be last on the list of those applying for the grants, once it secures a franchise.
"Kung sakali yes, kasi ang titingnan is first, yung nakapila ka, then we will check the legal qualifications," he said.
[Translation: In case, yes, because, first, we're looking if you are in line, then we will check the legal qualifications.]
Cabarios said in a previous interview that the assignment of frequencies is awarded on a "first come, first serve basis."
"First is, you consider the dates, kung sino nauna. Then take a look at compliance, kung hindi nagcomply then go to the next until the last," the deputy commissioner noted.
[Translation: First is, you consider the dates, who applied first. Then take a look at compliance, if it didn't comply then go to the next until the last.]
"If it is legally qualified, technically qualified and financially qualified, then a grant authorization is given. Ito yung sinusunod (This is what we follow)," Cabarios added.
He explained that Advanced Media Broadcasting System, which can now temporarily operate analog Channel 2 and digital Channel 16, applied for a digital TV slot as early as 2006.
Billionaire and former senator Manny Villar currently owns the broadcast firm. It received a 25-year franchise to operate TV service last 2019.
NTC also recently gave former ABS-CBN frequencies to Aliw Broadcasting, the operator of radio station DWIZ; and Swara Sug Media Corp, also known as Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
Aliw now has the authority to use Channel 23 while SMNI can use Channel 43. NTC earlier said Aliw was the second one to apply for digital TV broadcasting on July 2007, followed by SMNI, which filed on October the same year.
Cabarios said he does not have the exact number of applicants that are still on the waiting list, but there are others that also filed for provisional authority from 2017 to 2019.
"If ABS-CBN would be able to get the congressional franchise, it will be a new franchise. They have to apply for authorizations after and nakapila po yan, marami po sila (it must fall in line, and there's a lot of applicants lining up)," he noted.
[Translation: If ABS-CBN would be able to get the congressional franchise, it will be a new franchise. They have to apply for authorizations after and there's a line. There are many in line.]
He also said a network with a provisional authority has the option to "join others, build a single transmitter, share the cost, and go on air" depending on available program channels.
ABS-CBN failed to secure a fresh 25-year franchise in July 2020 after a House panel denied its application. It has since strengthened its presence in digital platforms and aired some shows on free TV at the A2Z channel out of a broadcast deal with religious leader and congressman Eddie Villanueva’s Zoe Broadcasting Network.
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
DOTr begins inspection of brand-new PNR Clark trains
By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has begun the inspection of trains purchased for the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 project in Valenzuela City on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade led the inspection of the trains purchased from the Japan Transport Engineering Company and Sumitomo Corporation as part of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system.
“Fifty-eight train sets ang inaasahang tatakbo sa kabuuang NSCR mula sa Clark International Airport (CRK) hanggang sa Calamba, Laguna (58 train sets are expected to operate in the entire NSCR from the CRK to Calamba, Laguna),” Tugade said.
Despite failed attempts to build such a rail system since 1994, with the latest resulting in a protracted legal battle in an international arbitration between Northrail and SINOMACH in 2016, Tugade said the PNR Clark Phase 1 (38-kilometers long from Tutuban to Malolos) and Phase 2 (53-km long from Malolos to Clark) are now “in full swing construction.”
In addition, he said the delivery of the NSCR’s 58 eight-car train sets, or a total of 464 train cars, has started after the first train set was delivered in November 2021.
“Oras na matapos ang PNR Clark Phase 1, magiging 35 minutes na lamang ang travel time mula Tutuban, Manila patungong Malolos, Bulacan, mula sa current 1.5 hours (Once PNR Clark Phase 1 is complete, travel from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan will be reduced to 35 minutes from the current 1.5 hours)," Tugade said.
Both PNR Clark Phase 1 and 2 are funded through assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
On the other hand, all nine civil works contracts for the construction of PNR Calamba—56-km long from Manila to Calamba—are expected to be awarded within the first quarter of 2022.
To date, the PNR Clark 1 has a 53.85 percent overall progress rate, the PNR Clark 2 at 34.46 percent, and PNR Calamba at 28.62 percent complete.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Monday, January 24, 2022
LIVE: Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Churc...
Sunday, January 23, 2022
Saturday, January 22, 2022
LIVE: Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Antipolo - 12NN MASS
Friday, January 21, 2022
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
LIVE: Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time - 12NN MASS
Monday, January 17, 2022
Settlement of disputes vital to rail projects
Settlement of legal disputes and acquisition of road-right-of-way were cited as the key factors for the realization and continued progress of the major ongoing rail projects by the government, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said over the weekend.
Since 1994, several attempts to revive the different segments of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project failed for various reasons, the DoTr said.
"After more than two decades and attempts of four administrations to implement, as of June 2016, the 147-kilometer, 35-station NSCR Project, had zero awarded contracts, zero physical progress, and zero trains ordered, started production," the DoTr said.
"Worse, the latest attempt to implement the project ended up in a protracted legal battle in international arbitration, which threatened to further delay and stall progress on the NSCR as of June 2016," it added.
In 2017, the DoTr concluded a historic out-of-court settlement agreement of the legal dispute with Sinomach (China National Machinery Industry Corporation) that paved the way for the construction of the NSCR.
"This move saved the Philippine government more than P5 billion ($100 million) in potential payment of claims to Sinomach, and hundreds of millions more in legal fees and arbitration costs. More importantly, the settlement agreement removed this legal obstacle to the progress of the NSCR Project," Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
With assistance from the Japanese government, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the DoTr said both the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos; 38 kilometers) and PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark; 53 kilometers) are now in full swing when it comes to construction.
The delivery of the NSCR's 58 eight-car train sets (totaling 464 train sars or bagons) has started, with the first train set already delivered in November 2021, the agency said.
In addition, all nine civil works contracts for the construction of PNR-Calamba (Manila-Calamba covering 56 kilometers) are about to be awarded within the first quarter of 2022.
A DoTr progress report showed as of December 2021, the PNR Clark 1 has a 53.85-percent overall progress rate, while the PNR Clark 2 has a 34.46-percent overall progress rate.
The NSCR will cut travel time from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna from over four hours to as short as one hour and 30 minutes and is expected to serve more than 1 million passengers per day once fully operational.
In addition, the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT) 1 Cavite Extension project from Baclaran to Bacoor commenced construction on Sept. 1, 2019, after being delayed for more than 20 years.
"After catching up on right-of-way acquisition and its free and clear certification, as well as addressing a number of unresolved issues and constraints, the DoTr, together with the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Light Rail Manila Corp., started actual construction works for the project," the agency said.
Once completed, this extension is expected to reduce travel time between Baclaran and Bacoor, Cavite to just 25 minutes, from 1 hour and 10 minutes, and increase LRT-1's capacity from 500,000 to 800,000 passengers daily.
DOTR to grant 9 contracts for PNR-Calamba rail plan in Q1
The Department of Transportation said over the weekend nine civil works contracts for the construction of the P344.6-billion PNR-Calamba Project are set to be awarded in the first quarter of 2022.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the overall progress rate of the PNR Calamba Project reached 28.63 percent as of December 2021.
He said the 56-kilometer railway project would serve at least 340,000 passengers a day in its partial operations. Ridership is expected to increase up to 550,000 passengers once the railway is on full operations by 2028.
It is a part of the longer 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway System (which has 35 stations from Calamba in Laguna to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. The NSCR System will have a fleet of 464 train cars or 58 trains sets, including seven airport express trains.
Data from the department showed that PNR Clark 1, or the Manila-Malolos section, had a 53.85-percent overall progress rate while PNR Clark 2, or the Malolos-Clark segment, registered 34.46-percent construction progress as of end-2021.
The agency said the construction of the P106-billion PNR Clark 1 was on track to be completed by 2024. Once finished, this section will have 10 stations and will traverse the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Valenzuela, and Meycauayan and the municipalities of Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto and Malolos City in Bulacan province.
The second leg of the NSCR Project, the 53-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 2, is expected be partially operational by the second quarter of 2023, while the full operation is targeted by the third quarter of 2024.
The project will connects cities and municipalities in Central Luzon to Metro Manila and will link the railway system with the country’s first ever Airport Express Service going to Clark International Airport.
The DOTr said the delivery of the NSCR’s 58 8-car train sets (464 train cars or bagons) started, with the the first set arriving in November 2021.
Once completed, the NSCR System intends would cut travel time from Clark International Airport to Calamba from more than 4 hours to just 1.5 hours.
Travelers from Makati will also be able to reach the Clark International Airport in less than an hour aboard the Airport Express train service. The NSCR System can initially accommodate up to 1 million daily passengers.
This will support the viability of Clark International Airport as a major gateway in Luzon and decongest the major roads and expressways connecting Calabarzon, Metro Manila and Central Luzon.
Sunday, January 16, 2022
Gov’t fast-tracks PNR Calamba project; to award 9 civil contracts in Q1
The Department of Transportation is accelerating the construction of a train line which will link Metro Manila to Laguna, with nine contracts set to be awarded in the first quarter.
The P344.6-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) Calamba project is expected to serve at least 340,000 passengers a day during its partial operations.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the overall progress rate of the PNR Calamba train line stood at 28.63 percent as of December last year.
The 56-kilometer railway project will run from Metro Manila starting in Solis Street, Tondo to Calamba, Laguna, cutting travel time to one hour from the current four hours.
Upon full completion in 2028, the train line is seen to accommodate up to 550,000 passengers.
The PNR Calamba Project is part of the longer 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway System (NSCR) which has 35 stations from Calamba in Laguna to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. The NSCR System will have a fleet of 464 train cars or 58 trains sets, including seven Airport Express train sets.
The PNR Clark 1, on the other hand, has a 53.85 percent overall progress rate and PNR Clark 2 with 34.46 percent overall progress rate.
Saturday, January 15, 2022
Friday, January 14, 2022
Thursday, January 13, 2022
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
NLEX readies 'big-ticket' projects for 2022
A tollway company of the Pangilinan group is targeting to jumpstart the construction of two projects, coupled with the completion of the ₱23-billion NLEX Connector road this year.
"As the company ends 2021 with a positive note, we welcome 2022 with optimism as there are big-ticket projects that we will complete and commence this year," NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista said in a statement Saturday.
While works on the NLEX C5 Link Mindanao Avenue-Quirino Highway Section were supposed to start in the second half of 2021, the company said the ₱2-billion project will be pursued this year.
The two-kilometer expressway section seeks to connect the Mindanao Avenue toll plaza and Quirino Highway in Novaliches, Quezon City. This is part of the 11.5-kilometer NLEX C5 Link between Mindanao Avenue, Quirino Highway, Regalado Avenue, Congressional Avenue and C.P. Garcia Avenue in Quezon City.
Once the whole NLEX C5 Link is operational, travel time between Mindanao Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue would be reduced from 45 minutes to just 10 minutes.
The company will also establish the third bridge at the Candaba Viaduct, expanding its capacity to four lanes per direction.
Meanwhile, the multibillion-peso NLEX Connector is expected to be finished this year, providing players in the logistics sector an option to avoid traffic congestion along EDSA and C5.
The 8-kilometer NLEX Connector will pass through 5th Avenue/C3 Road, España Blvd. all the way to Sta. Mesa, Manila.
NLEX Corporation is a unit of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.
Aside from NLEX, the firm also operates the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
https://cnnphilippines.com/business/2022/1/8/NLEX-readies-big-ticket-projects-for-2022.html
LRT-1 Cavite extension is 62% complete — DOTr
The P64.9-billion Light Rail Transit (LRT)-1 Cavite Extension, which was delayed for two decades, is 61.60 percent complete as of December 2021, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)- Investment Coordination Committee ( ICC) approved the LRT-1 Cavite Extension project in 2000 and Congress gave it a budget allocation for right-of-way acquisition in 2007.
However, as of June 2016, not a single post has been built, and not a single train has even been ordered, said DOTr. Worse, no required right-of-way has been certified “free and clear” by the project’s independent consultant, it added.
In 2019, after catching up on right-of-way acquisition, as well as addressing a number of unresolved issues and constraints, the DOTr, together with the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), started actual construction works for the project.
Once completed, this extension will reduce travel time between Baclaran and Bacoor, Cavite to 25 minutes, from one hour and 10 minutes.
It will also increase LRT-1’s capacity from 500,000 to 800,000 passengers daily.
In addition, the project generated more than 1,600 jobs during its construction phase, with more to be created once it becomes operational, said the DOTr.
https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/11/lrt-1-cavite-extension-is-62-complete-dotr/
Monday, January 10, 2022
Sunday, January 9, 2022
Saturday, January 8, 2022
Friday, January 7, 2022
China opens 211 km of urban rail routes in a single day
Seven Chinese cities opened new metro lines, suburban railways or route extensions on December 28, totaling almost 211 km and adding 107 stations.
Designed for driverless operation at up to 120 km/h, Shenzhen Line 20 runs entirely underground, connecting Airport North to Convention & Exhibition City. Construction of the 8·4 km line with five stations began in October 2016, but the work was suspended from late 2018 to early 2020. Line 20 is worked by a fleet of nine eight-car Type A trainsets manufactured by CRRC Changchun. These are fitted with airtight doors to minimize the pressure pulses when trains pass at full speed in the tunnels. They are equipped with GoA4 autonomous driving technology based on vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
The Line 20 trains have their own stabling facility at Airport North, although the intention is that heavy maintenance will be undertaken at the adjacent Line 11 depot.
Ningbo goes driverless
In northeast Zhejiang, Ningbo inaugurated its fifth metro Line on December 28, taking the city’s network to a total length of 183 km.
Line 5 is Ningbo’s first line equipped for driverless operation. Running from Buzheng to Xingzhuang Road, the 27·6 km line has 22 stations, of which five are interchanges. Authorized by the Ningbo Development & Reform Commission in June 2015, the line has been under construction since September 2016. Currently operated as a ‘C’ shaped route, Line 5 is planned to be extended into a complete circle, which would add a further 19·1 km.
The line is worked by a fleet of 26 six-car Type B trains supplied by CRRC Zhuzhou, which were assembled locally in Ningbo. These are powered by permanent magnet synchronous traction motors, saving an estimated 20% of energy compared to the city’s earlier trains with conventional motors.
Services are currently operating between 06.00 and 22.00, with a peak headway of 4½ min and an off-peak frequency of 7 min 40 sec; end-to-end journey time is 48 min.
Second monorail
Wuhu’s second straddle-beam monorail line is a 15·8 km east-west route linking Jiuziguangchang and Wanchunhulu, with 11 stations. Interchange to Line 1 is provided at Jiuziguangchang. Most of the line is elevated, but there is a short tunnel section with a single underground station providing serving Wuhu Railway Station.
The monorail worked by a fleet of 18 four-car driverless trainsets manufactured by the CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems joint venture of Alstom and CRRC Nanjing Puzhen.
A 14·4 km western extension to Jiangbei is expected to open in 2025, adding a further eight stations.
Two lines in Tianjin
Tianjin opened two further routes on December 28, taking its expanding network to 265 route km with 164 stations including 19 interchanges.
The first phase of Line 4 serving the southeast of the city runs from an interchange with Line 2 at Dongnanjiao to Xinxingcun, serving 14 stations including four interchanges. Authorized by the National Development & Reform Commission in 2012, the line has been under construction since August 2013. Work began in mid-2019 on a 23·8 km, 19-station northwestern extension which is expected to open in late 2024.
Line 4 is operated with six-car Type B trainsets manufactured by CRRC Tangshan, which are 118 m long. However, the stations have been built with provision for expansion to eight-car trains of 157 m. End-to-end journey time is 33 min.
The second new route to be inaugurated adds a further 15·3 km and 10 stations to Line 6, serving the city’s southern suburbs. The existing line between Nansunzhuang and Meilinlu has been extended by 900 m to a new interchange at Lushuido, connecting with a standalone suburban route from there to Xianshuiguxi, which is currently branded as part of Line 6 but expected to become part of Line 8 in 2024.
Nanjing Intercity
Branded as suburban Line S6, the 43·6 km Ningju Line in Nanjing is also known as the Nanjing Intercity Railway. Linking Maqun and Jurong with 13 stations, the route is partially underground, but includes a 26·1 km elevated section. Line S6 has been designed and built by the Ningju Rail Transit joint venture between the Nanjing metro operator and Jurong local government; the JV also operates the line.
Designed for 120 km/h operation, Line S6 is worked by a fleet of 33 four-car PM176 Type B trainsets manufactured by CRRC Nanjing Puzhen. The stations have been designed for future expansion to six-car trains.
Also opened in Nanjing on December 28 was a 5·4 km southwestern extension of metro Line 2 with four stations. Approved by the National Development & Reform Commission in May 2015 as part of the Nanjing Urban Rail Transit Construction Plan (2015-20), the partially underground extension takes Line 2 to a total length of 43·4 km.
30-year concession
In the Greater Bay Area, Foshan’s second metro line connects Nanzhuang with Guangzhou Bei Railway Station. With trains running at up to 100 km/h, the end-to-end journey time on the 32·4 km line with 17 stations is 45 min.
Line 2 has been designed and built by a consortium of China Communications Construction Group, Foshan Railway Co, and CRRC Sifang under a 30-year BOT concession agreement signed in 2013. CRRC Qingdao Sifang manufactured 25 six-car aluminum-bodied Type B trains, which were assembled locally in Foshan.
The construction of a 23·5 km western extension of Foshan metro Line 2 was formally approved in December.
Suburban expansion
The final metro line to open on December 28 was the 43 km Line 13 in the suburbs of Dalian. Under construction since 2010, this is being operated as a northern extension of Line 3’s Jiuli branch to Pulandian Zhenxing Street; it includes a 21·8 km elevated section as well as a 900 m tunnel.
At present through services from Line 13 operate over the Jiuli branch as far as the junction with the rest of Line 3 at Dalian Development Zone. However, longer-term plans envisage the route being extended to Dalian Bei Station on its own tracks.
Line 13 is worked by a fleet of 20 six-car Type B trainsets manufactured by CRRC Dalian. These 120 m long trains are designed for 120 km/h operation, giving an end-to-end journey time of 33 min. The line is equipped for a minimum peak headway of 2 min.
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
The Philippines orders another wave of lockdowns amid a surge in cases.
The Philippines announced on Tuesday that it was expanding a lockdown for unvaccinated people around the capital, Manila, after recording a spike in Covid-19 cases after the holidays.
Officials made the announcement after the Philippines reported 4,984 new cases in the country, the highest daily total in recent months for a second straight day.
Metropolitan Manila, an area containing 16 cities and a township with a population of about 14 million, had already been placed under the restrictions on Monday. Mayors agreed to bar unvaccinated residents from leaving their homes except for essential reasons, such as for food, water, medical needs and work.
Tuesday’s announcement expanded the area under restrictions to include Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal. The rules will go into effect there on Wednesday and last until Jan. 15.
Since the virus emerged in the country, President Rodrigo Duterte has placed several regions, including Luzon, its largest island and home to Manila, under a series of lockdowns.
Health officials suggested that vaccine complacency was behind the latest rise in infections.
“Despite the availability of vaccines, there is a number of individuals who adamantly opt not to be vaccinated,” the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said in a statement.
Benhur Abalos, the head of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, which oversees regulations in the megacity, said the measures were necessary “because some of our minors are unvaccinated.”
“This is just temporary while the cases are rampaging,” he said of the lockdown. “So this is just to protect our unvaccinated.”
Mr. Abalos said the authorities were worried about a 285 percent rise in Covid-19 cases from mid-December to Dec. 31.
The government hopes to fully inoculate 77 million Filipinos out of a population of 110 million before May 2022. As of early December, only 40 million have had two doses.
Dr. Benjamin Campomanes, executive vice president and chief medical officer of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Manila, told a local television station that cases would continue to soar if no measures were taken.
“What is very concerning is the exponential increase. Just before New Year, for example, we have had zero admissions here in Quezon City,” he said, referring to a metro Manila suburb. “But now we have 41 cases within a week. With this exponential increase, I am worried about a week from today.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/04/world/asia/philippines-manila-covid-lockdown.html