Friday, December 28, 2012

Gov't eyes new hub in Caloocan as 'common train station'

The government is looking at the proposed LRT Malvar station in Caloocan City as a new hub for the Metro Manila Integrated Rail Terminal or common station where three railways will meet.

The Malvar station is seen as more viable for a common terminal, as it has the accessibility for commuters and capacity for the trains.

"Last week, we had a briefing in Malvar in order to open that area, kasi marami galing north dun sumasakay. Malvar is a possible common station," Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya told ABS-CBNnews.com.

The common station was first broached in 2006, and was supposed to rise adjacent to SM Annex on EDSA, Quezon City.

Despite the deal having been forged, the previous administration decided to change plans, saying it would be cheaper to put up the station on the Ayala-owned Trinoma Mall.

Construction of the common station was supposed to be completed back in May 2010 but was temporarily put aside citing cost and engineering issues.

In August 2014, SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI) obtained a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court to prevent the then Department of Transportation and Communications from moving the location of the common station near Trinoma.

In a decision issued July 30, the Supreme Court said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) violated the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated September 28, 2009 with SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI).

The respondents were given 10 days from notice to comment – and not to file a motion to dismiss.

The Supreme Court also directed SMPHI to submit sufficient verification of the petition pursuant to Section 4, Rule 7, 1997 Rules of Civil Procedures and a proof of service of the petition on the adverse parties.

The High Court’s TRO reinforces the company’s position on the case, now pending before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City.

SMPHI had asked the court to stop the agencies from transferring the common station to TriNoma mall from SM City North EDSA mall, citing the MOA signed with LRTA years ago.

SMPHI also claimed it had naming rights to the station after paying the government the sum of P200 million ($4.58 million).

The Pasay court junked on June 23 SMPHI’s application for a TRO and preliminary injunction. SMPHI then elevated the case to the Supreme Court.

The DOTC, for its part, said the MOA had lapsed in 2011, as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) had approved the construction of the common station at TriNoma.

Compromise talks were initiated by Abaya, but a resolution was never reached until President Aquino III stepped down last June 30, 2016. At one point, Abaya had suggested building two common stations—one each to be located near SM North Edsa and Trinoma—to urge SM to withdraw its lawsuit.

The two-station plan was eventually abandoned and deferred as private sector stakeholders said it would inconvenience commuters.

It will house the planned link of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and the proposed MRT-7.

SM Prime Holdings had earlier given the Light Rail Transit Authority P200 million for "naming rights" over the station. But Abaya said, distance may cause a problem in putting up the station near SM City North EDSA.

"The problem with the common station in SM is it's too short a distance from the MRT's last station. You run 600 meters and then to turn around that's not good for train operations. You have to decide on having them separate, people have to walk or have another common station."

Abaya however said, the P200 million deposit will be returned once the project does not materialize.

"We will look into that. If we received it and it wasn't constructed then dapat isauli."

The nearly 17-kilometer MRT-3 traverses North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, while the 20.7-km LRT-1 runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt Station in Quezon City.

The proposed MRT-7 meantime stretches from San Jose del Monte Bulacan to North Avenue Quezon City with a total length of 22 kilometers involving 14 train stations.