DOTr Cites Resolution of Dispute on LRT-MRT Common Station as Key Accomplishment For First 100 Days

The resolution of the seven- year dispute over the location of the common station that will provide connectivity between LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3 and the proposed MRT Line 7 was the major accomplishment of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on the railway sector for the first 100 of the Duterte administration.

An agreement was signed last September 28, 2016 by DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, Secretary Mark Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI) President Hans Sy, Vice Chairman of the North Triangle Depot Commercial Corporation and Chairman of Ayala Land, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President Ramon Ang, Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC) Vice Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Deputy Administrator Emerson Benitez.

The agreement stated that the LRT-MRT common station will be located between SM North and Trinoma malls with a vehicular underpass being designed to decongest the North Ave-EDSA intersection to integrate with the Common Station.

The groundbreaking for the project is set for the end of the year once its engineering design was finalized among its stakeholders. Completion is between two and a half to three years after the ground breaking.

“The Common Station will enable commuters to transfer from one line to another. Thus, it is part of our vision to establish an interconnected and inter-operable transportation system in the country,” DOTr Undersecretary for Rail and Toll Roads Noel Kintanar said in a press conference.

Kintanar also reported that MRT3 headways reduced to 4.5 minutes from 5 minutes with service disruptions down to average of 38 in the first 100 days from 46 in June.

Twenty-six Dalian LRVs/cars are set to be delivered and prepared for operations by the first quarter of 2017, meeting its original delivery deadline of January 2017 for all 48 LRVs/cars.

Operating hours were also extended for the LRT system from 9:30 PM to 10:15 PM for LRT-1 and from 10:00PM to 10:15PM for LRT 2.

Furthermore, single journey tickets and stored value cards are now being sold in malls to reduce queuing at ticket stations. The railway terminals are now being provided with Wi-Fi access and rest rooms are being cleaned and renovated.

The DOTr is also working on improving capacity and station experience for the Philippine National Railways (PNR) through the increase of operational trains from 5 to 7 with 10 stations being expanded.

Meanwhile, phase 2-A of the NAIA Expressway connecting NAIA terminals 1 and 2 to Macapagal Avenue and SM Mall of Asia opened last September 22. Motorists will be able to utilize the expressway toll free for the first month of its opening.

The less than 2-km stretch is expected to reduce the travel time from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to Macapagal Ave and vice versa from 15 minutes to less than 5 minutes. It is expected to help ease the traffic and benefit motorists in areas of Paranaque, Cavite and Pasay.

Before the end of the year, the longer arm of the elevated expressway linking NAIA terminals 1&2 to terminal 3 and vice versa is expected to be opened.

The DOTr is also set to finalize an agreement among toll operators for electronic tolling interoperability.

A detailed study is also underway for the installation of a cable car system in Pasig River, Boracay and Baguio with funding for technical assistance and feasibility study from the French government.(PNA) FPV/ABP