By Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine
Star) | Updated June 30, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The Department
of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is set to present to Malacañang
next month the proposed P271-billion North-South Commuter railway project.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio
Abaya said the project would be presented to the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) Board chaired by President Aquino for approval.
The proposed project stretching 89.7
kilometers from Malolos in Bulacan to Calamba in Laguna aims to upgrade and
modernize the Philippine National Railway (PNR) in order to provide a safe,
reliable, fast and convenient rail transport system.
Abaya explained that the project would
use the existing Philippines National Railway (PNR) right-of-way (ROW) through
the greater Manila area. It involves the rapid rehabilitation of the existing
at-grade PNR railway infrastructure.
According to Abaya, the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has expressed interest in undertaking
the Malolos in Bulacan to Tutuban stretch involving an elevated railway.
On the other hand, the DOTC chief said
the Tutuban to Calamba stretch would be offered to prospective investors via
the Aquino government’s public private partnership (PPP) scheme.
“The Japanese (JICA) are interested to
do the Malolos to Tutuban line. The Tutuban to Calamba will be under the PPP
scheme,” he said,
Abaya pointed out that the winning
proponent could expand the rail system by putting up additional rail tracks and
bringing in more trains.
Once approved by the NEDA Board, he
explained that the government could start the procurement process by publishing
the invitation to bid.
Last March, the DOTC and the PPP
Center held a forum to lure investors in
major railway projects as part of efforts to give commuters alternative mode of
transportation.
The government is looking at
increasing urban mass transport ridership to 2.2 million per day by 2016 or
2017 from the current level of 1.2 million per day under the government’s Rail
Transport Development Plan.
Under the plan, the DOTC would develop
intermodal facilities and at the same time improve transport linkages and
efficiency to production and consumption markets.
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