30 add’l LRT 1 train sets seen to decongest Manila traffic

One hundred twenty new rolling stocks for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) are seen to help decongest Metro Manila and enhance the business climate in the country, a Japanese official said on Monday.

“Through the project, JICA aims to support the Philippines in accommodating growing demand for quality mass transport and job opportunities,” said Susumu Ito, chief representative of JICA Philippines office.

“The present administration’s thrust to usher in a ‘golden age of infrastructure’ could also mean a ‘golden age for investments’ in the Philippines,'” he added.

With this, Ito echoed JICA’s hopes to continue contributing to the Philippine economic growth “in a sustainable way through infrastructure development.”

The Department of Transportation has awarded the contract to supply said new rolling stocks to Mitsubishi Corporation, the latter is set to supply 120 cars, equivalent to 30 train sets, to LRT Line 1 beginning 2020 until 2022.

According to the Japanese agency, the said project is part of its JPY43,252 million ODA loan for ‘Capacity Enhancement of Mass Transit Systems in Metro Manila Project’ that aims to support quality transport infrastructure in the Philippines to help sustain the country’s robust economic growth.

The LRT Line 1 new rolling stocks will use Japanese technology and products while helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Once completed, JICA said the new rolling stocks of LRT Line 1 can accommodate 1,388 passengers per train and more than double the number of running trains to 222.

JICA has supported quality transport infrastructure in the Philippines since the 1970s with 45 percent of its ODA loan portfolio channeled to supporting infrastructure even in the remotest areas.

The Philippines’ investments in transportation infrastructure are now in the works, with the approval recently of the Philippines’ first subway project to be assisted by JICA by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.

JICA mentioned that Metro Manila’s urban rail systems have been built since the mid-1980s, namely the LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, and LRT Line 2 and transport demand has increased since.

It noted that shifting from road-based transport to rail-based mass transit could help ease the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila due to urbanization and population growth.

The full rehabilitation, improvement and upgrading the 20 stations of LRT-1 that contains glass windows, passenger information display and platform screen doors.

All LRT 1 passenger stations “will be improved to enhance accessibility, safety, and security of commuters.”

Improvements in the two biggest stations, EDSA and Baclaran, and 3 smaller stations, R. Papa, Abad Santos, and Gil Puyat will follow.

The construction for the other 14 stations, according to Singson, will start in May and August 2016.

Construction of Ayala Boulevard and 10th Avenue stations will use the LRT Line 1 Main Line station design, while the Malvar and Trinoma Station will use the LRT Line 1 North Extension station design.

JICA-funded new LRT-1 trains seen to decongest Manila traffic

One hundred twenty new rolling stocks for the LRT-1 funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency are seen to help decongest the traffic-choked streets of Metro Manila.

The Department of Transportation will award the contract to supply new train cars to Mitsubishi Corporation this week. The company will supply cars to LRT-1 from 2020 to 2022.

“Through the project, JICA aims to support the Philippines in accommodating growing demand for quality mass transport and job opportunities,” JICA Philippines Office Chief Representative Susumu Ito said.

The JICA project noted that shifting from road-based transport to rail-based mass transit could help ease the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila.

The project is part of JICA’s ¥43.252 billion ($385,721,336) official development assistance loan for “Capacity Enhancement of Mass Transit Systems in Metro Manila Project,” which aims to support quality transport infrastructure in the country.

Once completed, the new rolling stocks of LRT-1 can accommodate 1,388 passengers per train and increase the number of running trains to 222.

The government first conducted the bidding for the supply of 120 new light rail vehicles for the LRT-1 in March last year but it was declared a failure as no offer was given by Japanese firms.

Former Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya attributed the lack of bids from Japanese firms to the surge in demand of rolling stocks in Japan as Tokyo prepares to host the 2020 Olympics.

The second bidding was conducted for the procurement of LRT-1’s trains earlier this year.

Moreover, another project funded by a loan from JICA involving the expansion of the LRT-1 depot is expected to be awarded once the 2018 national budget is approved.

At present, the LRT-1 has 20 stations from Roosevelt Station in Quezon City to Baclaran Station in Pasay City.

Based on government data, LRT-1 carries an average of 500,000 commuters daily.

JICA will also assist the Metro Manila Subway Project. DoTR said the country’s first ever subway is “on track” with the groundbreaking scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2018.

On the other hand, Manila’s other train system—MRT-3—has been heavily criticized for technical glitches which inconvenience the riding public daily.

Former transport officials charged over MRT

Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes and former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares file a graft complaint against former Department of Transportation officials and the former maintenance provider of MRT-3, before the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday. The group cited the officials’ violation of the anti-graft law and the government procurement law, when thy approved the P3.8 billion maintenance contract with a Filipino-Korean consortium.

Malacañang promises 'better MRT' during Duterte administration

Amid public frustration over the many problems besetting the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) system, Malacañang promised a better MRT during the Duterte administration.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, on Monday, November 20, said, “We accept the challenge. We are moving forward and we promise better MRT to our riding public.” (READ: [EDITORIAL] #AnimatEd: Tragic rides, drastic steps for the MRT)

Roque said that Duterte, famous for his outrage over the country’s drug problem, will apply the same formidable political will in solving the MRT’s troubles.

“We will show the same political will that the President has shown in his fight against illegal drugs, in his fight against corruption, in bringing this vital service of transportation to the people as well,” said Roque.

Malacañang asked the public to give the Duterte government a chance to solve the seemingly endless frustrations about the MRT.

“With the President assuming that he will be responsible for the MRT, let us give the President the opportunity to rectify the many problems that his administration inherited from the past dispensation,” said the Duterte spokesman.

Last Saturday, November 18, Duterte said the recent detachment of a train coach from the MRT3 train’s main body may have been a work of sabotage.

“It would indicate sabotage or something did it intentionally. So maybe the connecting mechanisms there or equipment seems to be – they didn’t see it or it’s not there when it’s supposed to be there,” he said in Davao City.

“This is not an excuse actually. We offer no excuse, but apologies maybe to the public for the inconvenience caused,” he added.

Some 130 to 140 commuters were forced to walk on train tracks after the MRT3 carriage they were riding got detached from the train’s main body.

So far, there are already more MRT3 problems in the year 2017 than in the previous year, according to research by Rappler.

From January 1 to November 17 this year, there have been 475 MRT3 problems already recorded – an average of 10.33 a week, or more than once a day on some days. Of this number, 413 are train offloading incidents, 35 are service interruptions, and 27 are provisional services or shortened trips.

There were only 392 incidents in the same period in 2016, or an average of around 8.5 a week. Even then, in the entire 2016, only 441 incidents were recorded in the MRT3 line.