DoTr opens bidding for Malolos-Tutuban rail line

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it has opened the bidding for the construction contract for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.

The DoTr is bidding out the civil works and building components of the project. It has two contract packages: the first covers elevated structures, seven stations and a depot; the second includes elevated structures and three stations.

Eligible bidders must have a Japanese prime contractor, with no nationality restrictions on sub-contractors

The DoTr started the phase 1 of the project in January. This involves the clearing of roads that will be affected by the construction of NSCR.

http://bworldonline.com/dotr-opens-bidding-for-malolos-tutuban-rail-line/

Finally, a rehab plan for MRT3

In any solution to Metro Manila’s traffic problem, a major part would be the rehabilitation of Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) which runs from Quezon City in the north along Epifanio de los Santos Ave. (EDSA) to Pasig, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay in the south. It complements the Light Rail Transit (LRT) which runs from Quezon City west to Caloocan, then south via Rizal Ave. to Manila and via Taft Ave. to Pasay.

Metro traffic gained international notoriety during the Aquino III administration years when increased vehicle sales combined with heightened cargo deliveries from the piers and repeated breakdowns in MRT operations. Sen. Grace Poe highlighted a Senate inquiry with her lining up with thousands of rush-hour commuters in queues that ran for blocks around MRT stations in Quezon City. The inquiry, among others, brought out the fact that the new administration officials had somehow managed in 2012 to replace the reliable Sumitomo maintenance firm with a new company of their own with, however, little expertise in light rail operations.

At the start of the Duterte administration in 2016, rehabilitation of MRT 3 began in earnest. As emergency measures were taken to increase the number of running trains, the new Department of Transportation worked with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on an overall MRT3 Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project.

After long discussions and appraisal of the problem, the two sides agreed last Friday on a 43-month rehabilitation program designed to restore MRT3 to its original condition and capacity at a cost of 34.48 billion yen (P16.98 billion) covering the trains, overhead power lines, tracks, radio, public address, and signaling systems, stations, and equipment depots. Signing of the agreement is set for next month.

There was a time when MRT3 was down to running only seven trains and there was at least one breakdown a day, stranding hundreds of passengers in between stations. In the last few months, MRT3 has been able to increase the number of trains to 15, carrying 405,000 passengers a day.

A new maintenance provider nominated by JICA is expected to start working this month and it is hoped the number of running trains will reach 20, capable of carrying 540,000 passengers a day.

At the end of the 43-month rehabilitation that was agreed upon last week, MRT3 should be back to its original designed capacity of 600,000 riders a day. That would take a huge load off Metro Manila’s jammed roads and highways.

NO FREE LUNCH: Planning for Mega Manila

Once upon a time (around 1920-1930, to be more specific), Manila could be described as a well-designed, mass-transit-based urban area. It had an extensive tranvia or streetcar network, similar to that in San Francisco in California, running on an estimated 85 kilometers of tracks. The tranvia met 40 percent of the total estimated demand for mobility in the city, even as there was a diversity of urban transport modes ranging from bicycles to horse-drawn calesas and the newly mass-produced model T Fords from America. There was strategic integrated development, where the establishment of a suburban transport line was well-coordinated with housing development and the provision of electric power supply. Traffic management was good, and Manila had all the features of a well-planned urban area.

That was the historical backdrop to the “Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and Surrounding Areas” done jointly in 2014 by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). That was a time when the city had a population of 300,000. Now, nearly a century later, Metro Manila is home to more than 50 times as many people, and using “good traffic management” and “well-planned urban area” to describe the metropolis would be a bad joke. There’s so much that needs to be changed, and so much to be undone if it is to move toward earning those descriptions again.

As tracked by the Neda-Jica study, a big part of the problem arose within the 30-year period from 1980 to 2010. In that period, the Metro Manila population doubled from 5.9 to 11.8 million. But the number of motor vehicles rose 4.3 times, from less than half a million to nearly 2 million. The number of buses nearly quadrupled, from 3,600 to 14,200 units. And yet, road length only increased 1.5 times, from 675 to 1,032 km. We all know the glaring result, and city dwellers suffer it daily. Meanwhile, public rail transit spanned 50 km in 2010, against 20 in 1980—an increase of 2.5 times, but still much less than the 85 km (of tranvia) we had in the 1920s.

While the study was focused on transport infrastructure, it noted other challenges attendant to the growth of the metropolis. Housing, for one, is too often forgotten in all the talk about infrastructure and the “Build, build, build” program of the government. There was an estimated backlog of 500,000 housing units, and need to resettle 560,000 households living in hazard areas beside waterways (probably underestimates by now). And yet our public expenditure on housing as percent of gross domestic product or GDP pales in comparison to that of our neighbors, and even less than in poorer countries like Bangladesh.

The capital region grew from just the city of Manila in the early 20th century to Metro Manila by the 1970s, and now we see the rise of “Mega Manila” that includes much of Region III (Central Luzon) on the north and Region IV-A (Calabarzon) on the south. The

Neda-Jica study notes that “Metro Manila’s problems can no longer be solved within Metro Manila,” and that Regions III and IV-A must “maximize positive impacts of Metro Manila while contributing to mitigate Metro Manila’s problems.” This entails a departure from monocentric planning with the national capital at the core of development, to a “polycentric” one that sees the cities of Angeles (Clark), Olongapo (Subic), Malolos, San Fernando, Calamba, Lipa, Batangas, San Pablo and Lucena as growth poles as well.

What all this requires is closer integration of the three regions, and this starts with integrative physical planning. Key transport links are the NLEx-SLEx connector road, the North-South Commuter Railway from Clark to Los Banos, and the subway that will ultimately span City of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan to City of Dasmariñas in Cavite. Urban expressways, smart traffic management systems and more also form part of the “Dream Plan” for Mega Manila that would lead to a truly integrated, multimodal urban mass transit network. Will we see all this happen within our lifetimes? Perhaps we could, if the government can make good on its promise of a “Golden Age of Infrastructure.”

cielito.habito@gmail.com

Read more: https://opinion.inquirer.net/113280/planning-mega-manila#ixzz5FpEqTYVk
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Japan firms to fix MRT3 starting next month

The busy Metro Rail Transit Line 3, which had grabbed headlines for constant breakdowns in recent years, could be restored to its original condition in two and a half years, the Department of Transportation said on Tuesday.

The DOTr, for the first time, released details of a plan to tap Japanese companies to rehabilitate and maintain the almost two decades-old MRT3, which runs along the crucial Edsa in Metro Manila.

The DOTr said it hosted last week officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) during a so-called appraisal mission. The event covered technical matters on the size, scope and project cost of the MRT-3 rehabilitation project.

Based on those discussions, the DOTr said the project would cost an estimated 34.48 billion yen or close to P17 billion.

The rehabilitation and maintenance will take some 43 months. It said 31 months were allocated “for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT3 to its original design condition and capacity.” The remaining 12 months would be for a so-called defect liability period.

The DOTr said the new maintenance and rehabilitation provider would begin work starting this June. The loan signing is also targeted for next month.

While it did not name the provider, the DOTr in previous statements said they were considering the tandem of Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Mitsubishi-Sumitomo handled maintenance operations for the MRT3’s first 12 years of operations.

The project scope will include the MRT3’s power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, CCTV system, public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators and other station building equipment, the DOTr noted.

The DOTr may eventually allow the private sector to assume operations of the MRT3. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. last year bagged original proponent status for its P12.5-billion offer to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the MRT3 for a period of 30 years.

Once approved by the National Economic and Development Authority, Metro Pacific’s offer will be subjected to a competitive challenge.

The DOTr is finalizing the results of an audit to determine whether it could use 48 train coaches supplied by Chinese company CRRC Dalian. It earlier tapped Germany’s TUV Rheinland as independent consultant for the audit.

John Batan, DOTr undersecretary for railways, said previously that the TUV Rheinland results would “guide” the DOTr in the scope of works to be undertaken by the Japanese providers.

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/250922/japan-firms-fix-mrt3-starting-next-month#ixzz5FjVCAvg3
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Government, Japanese agency agree to expand MRT 3

The Transportation Department and Japan International Cooperation Agency agreed to undertake the P16.98-billion rehabilitation and expansion of Metro Rail Transit Line 3.

The two parties signed Friday the minutes of discussion for the appraisal mission over the Japan-financed MRT-3 Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project.

It contained the final details on project cost, scope of works and schedule of implementation.

Under the agreement, Jica will finance the rehabilitation and maintenance project of MRT-3, covering the system’s trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, CCTV system, PABX public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators, and other station building equipment.

Discussions between Jica and the Transportation Department showed that the rehabilitation and maintenance of MRT 3 would take 43 months.

This would include 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT-3 to its original design condition and capacity and 12 months for the defect liability period.

The two parties also agreed to commit to best environmental management practices and social considerations through the procurement of a supervision consultant who would facilitate the implementation of an environmental management plan and an environmental monitoring plan.

The supervision consultant, to ensure the project’s sustainability, is required to draft and institutionalize new MRT-3 manuals that will update methodologies on appropriate asset management, project monitoring and supervision and operations and maintenance activities.

After completing the appraisal mission, the transport agency and Japan would move on to signing of the loan agreement and the mobilization of the new maintenance and rehabilitation provider for MRT-3 in June 2018.

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.

DOTr and JICA mobilizing new MRT-3 maintenance provider

The Philippine government, together with Japan, are working together to speed up the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3).

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) last Friday (May 11, 2018) signed the Minutes of Discussion for the Appraisal Mission for the Japan-financed MRT-3 Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project, where details on estimate project cost, scope of works, and schedule have been finalized.

The Appraisal Mission was conducted over the course of last week through thorough technical discussions between officials of JICA and DOTr.  Based on the discussions, the Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project of MRT-3 will take 43 months: 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT-3 to its original design condition and capacity, and 12 months for the defect liability period.

The scope of works of the Project, with cost estimated at ¥34.480 billion (R16.985 billion), will cover the MRT-3’s trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, CCTV system, PABX public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators, and other station building equipment.

DOTr and JICA have also agreed to commit to best environmental management practices and social considerations through the procurement of a Supervision Consultant who will facilitate the implementation of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and an Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMoP).

To ensure the project’s sustainability, the Supervision Consultant shall also draft and institutionalize new MRT-3 manuals that will update methodologies on appropriate asset management, project monitoring and supervision, and operations and maintenance activities.

After completing the Appraisal Mission, DOTr and Japan will now move on to signing of the loan agreement and the mobilization of the new maintenance and rehabilitation provider for MRT-3, which is targeted this June, 2018.

Selection of new MRT3 maintenance provider moved to June

It will take 31 months and P16.985 billion to restore the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, based on talks between the Department of Transportation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency

The government changed its target month for the selection of a new maintenance and rehabilitation provider for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) from May to June, as signing a loan deal with the Japanese government is taking more time than initially expected.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday, May 15, said in a statement that an appraisal mission was conducted last week through technical discussions with officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

"After completing the appraisal mission, DOTr and Japan will now move on to signing of the loan agreement and the mobilization of the new maintenance and rehabilitation provider for MRT3, which is targeted this June 2018," said the DOTr.

Transportation officials have yet to explain why the target for choosing a new MRT3 maintenance provider was moved by one month.

Back in December 2017, the DOTr had said it expects a new MRT3 maintenance provider by May, as it is already finalizing the terms of its loan agreement with JICA.

Timeline, cost

Based on the minutes of discussion, the DOTr said it will take 31 months and P16.985 billion to restore the MRT3. Another 12 months has been set to address any problems or glitches that could arise – called a defect liability period. (READ: MRT3 delivers on its promise of more trains)

"31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT3 to its original design condition and capacity, and 12 months for the defect liability period," the transportation department said.

It added that the project cost of ¥34.480 billion (P16.985 billion) will cover the MRT3's trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, CCTV system, PABX public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators, as well as other station building equipment.

Aside from funding, the DOTr had said it will utilize the bidding process of Japan in getting a new MRT3 maintenance provider.

"Required in all official development assistance (ODA) arrangements with them," Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said last December.

Batan had said procurement rules and regulations will be observed in choosing the new MRT3 maintenance provider, noting that it will be Japanese like other projects of the DOTr with Japan.

Batan was sought for comment on the timeline of the bidding for the new MRT3 maintenance and rehabilitation provider, but he has not yet replied as of posting.

The MRT3 has been encountering numerous malfunctions in recent years due to substandard maintenance and underinvestment in system renewal requirements. 

PHL, JICA finalize terms for MRT3 rehab

Philippine and Japanese official finalized last week the details of the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) to be financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) estimated that rehabilitating the mass rail system will cost an ¥34.480 billion or P16.985 billion.
“It will be largely funded by Japan but some admin fees or taxes are to be shouldered by PH,” MRT3 media relations officer Aly Narvaez said in a separate Viber message.

The project appraisal was conducted in technical discussions between the DOTr and JICA last week.

The rehabilitation will cover the trains, the power supply system, the radio system, the CCTV system, public address system, and the signaling system.

It will also cover the rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators, and other station building equipment.

The overall rehabilitation of the rail system is estimated to take 43 months—31 months for simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works, and 12 months for the defect liability period.

Separately, Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said the formal pledge by Japan is scheduled next month.

“June: Pledge by the Government of Japan, Exchange of Notes, and Loan Agreement signing,” he said in a Viber message to reporters on Tuesday.


Originally, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said earlier this year that May was the target for the Japanese to take over the maintenance and rehabilitation of MRT3.

The Philippines and Japan exchanged notes on a government-to-government agreement for Sumitomo Corp. and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to take over the maintenance and rehabilitation of the mass rail transit system.

Sumitomo and Mitsubishi were the original MRT3 maintenance providers from 2003 to 2012. Sumitomo also designed and built the system from 1998 to 2000.

“Yes, some findings from the due diligence system audit kasi needed further validation. Also, it was also timely na nacover ng system audit ang annual maintenance works ng MRT3 so the opportunity was maximized na rin,”  Narvaez noted.

“Around March kasi the system audit was complete na, but then there was the annual maintenance,” she said.

The DOTr said the project will also include tapping a Supervision Consultant who will facilitate the implementation of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and an Environment Monitoring Plan. —VDS, GMA News

DOTr reveals details on Japan-backed MRT rehab

The Department of Transportation on Tuesday bared the final details on the three-year makeover of the overcrowded Metro Rail Transit, which will be financed by Japan.

Reports of MRT train breakdowns have become as regular as the weather. In 2017, the shabby metro rail system, which serves thousands of passengers each day, reportedly suffered at least 500 disruptions.

In a statement, the DOTr said the government and Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, signed last Friday the final details on the estimated project cost, scope of works and schedule of the MRT rehabilitation.

Based on the discussions, upgrading the MRT will take 43 months: 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT to its original design condition and capacity; and 12 months for the defect liability period.

The project, which is estimated to cost ¥34.480 billion (P16.985 billion), will cover the repair of trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, CCTV system, signaling system, rail tracks, elevators and escalators and other station building equipment.

“After completing the Appraisal Mission, DOTr and Japan will now move on to signing of the loan agreement and the mobilization of the new maintenance and rehabilitation provider for MRT, which is targeted this June 2018,” the Transportation department said.

Last year, the government terminated its contract with Busan Universal Rail Inc., the MRT-3 service provider, due to alleged poor performance.

To ensure the project’s sustainability, a supervision consultant will be hired to facilitate and monitor the implementation of the MRT rehabilitation.

DOTr, Jica set P16.98-billion price tag for MRT 3 rehab, upkeep

JAPAN has finalized the cost, scope and schedule of the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3, setting a P16.98-billion price tag for the said project.

According to a media advisory, the minutes of discussion for the appraisal mission for the deal was attended by representatives of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) last Friday.

The appraisal initiative has set the cost of the project to P16.98 billion, and will cover the railway line’s trains, power-supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, closed-circuit television  system, public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road-rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators, and other station building equipment.

Tentatively, the whole deal will take about three and a half years, 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore train system to its original design condition and capacity, and a year for the defect liability period.

Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan said that the appraisal mission forms part of process for official development assistance (ODA) deals with Japan.

Talks for the said assistance started last year. January saw the exchange of note verbale between the two governments.

A month after Jica representatives started the on-site inspection of the MRT 3’s condition and noted the works needed to rehabilitate the system.

From March to April, Japanese engineers stated preparing the system’s inspection report, which includes both the scope of works and cost estimates.

It was finalized last Friday, when the appraisal mission was concluded.

By June, Batan said, the Philippines expect to finalize the following: “pledge by the government of Japan, exchange of notes and the loan agreement signing.”

Likewise, the two government agreed to commit to best environmental management practices and social considerations through the procurement of a supervision consultant who will facilitate the implementation of an Environmental Management Plan  and an Environmental Monitoring Plan.

To ensure the project’s sustainability, the supervision consultant shall also draft and institutionalize new MRT 3 manuals, which will update methodologies on appropriate asset management, project monitoring and supervision, and operations and maintenance activities.

The Japan ODA-financed rehabilitation and maintenance project is intended to “fix everything that needs to be fixed” in the MRT 3 through a well-qualified, experienced and single-point-of-responsibility rehabilitation and maintenance service provider, Batan stated.

The government is currently directly engaging Sumitomo Corp. and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the upkeep of the MRT 3.

The two companies designed, built and maintained the MRT 3 in its first 12 years of operations.

Sumitomo’s maintenance contract was terminated in 2012, after the previous Aquino administration decided to take over the said component despite contrary provisions in the build-lease-transfer contract with MRT Corp.

The new rehabilitation and maintenance service provider will be mobilized after securing the loan agreement from Japan.

The Jica-financed initiative is part of the government’s program to rehabilitate, expand  and modernize the train system.

Another option being considered is the acceptance of the unsolicited proposal of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. for the rehab and modernization of the railway line.

Metro Pacific submitted in 2017 an unsolicited proposal that involves the expansion of the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. It will double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day from the current 350,000 passengers daily.

The multimillion-dollar expansion is deemed as an all-encompassing deal, including the improvement of the reliability of rolling stock, the upgrading of power supply, the upgrading of stations and the replacement of rails, which will allow the company to operate the new trains purchased by the government from Chinese train manufacturer Dalian.

Unsolicited proposals are required, under the law, to be subjected to a Swiss challenge, wherein other groups can offer a similar proposal, and the original proponent can present a counter offer.

The government awarded the original-proponent status to Metro Pacific last year.

Metro Pacific has nominated Light Rail Manila Corp. as its corporate vehicle for the MRT 3 deal. The said company, a partnership between Metro Pacific and Ayala Corp., operates the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.

Its proposal for the MRT mimicked the same provisions under its concession agreement for the LRT 1 operations and modernization deal, which it bagged in 2014 via the Public-Private Partnership Program.

It means that, instead of having a different operator and maintenance provider, the group will be the one to do both, something that Robert John Sobrepeña has been pushing for since the government forcibly took over the upkeep of the facility in 2012.

Currently, the MRT 3 operates with 16 working trains daily, serving roughly 350,000 passengers per day.