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The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is in talks with the private operator of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) to complete the construction of the long-delayed common station linking Metro Manila’s railways.
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said Light Rail Manila Corp. (LMRC) has submitted an unsolicited proposal before the DOTr to be the contractor for the Unified Grand Central Station.
LRMC is the joint venture company that runs LRT-1, comprising Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corpo. (MPLRC), Ayala Corp.’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. (AC Infra), Sumitomo Corp., and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Investments Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd. (MIHPL).
Batan said the department aims to finalize the contract with LRMC within the year to continue the project's construction, which has seen no progress since last year.
“Our target is that by the end of this year, we already have arrangements with the private partner to complete the common station,” he said on the sidelines of the Philippine Railway Conference.
In May, the DOTr issued a notice of termination for the contract it entered into with the previous builder of the common station, the joint venture of BF Corp. and Foresight Development and Surveying Co. (BFC-FDSC).
Then-Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said he withdrew from the contract due to delays in the project's construction.
BFC-FDSC bagged a ₱2.78-billion contract with the DOTr in 2019 for the construction of Area A of the Unified Grand Central Station.
Area A covers the platform that would link LRT-1 and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3). The completion date for the project was initially set for 2021.
Area B of the project would connect Areas A to C, while Area C would serve as the platform for the under-construction MRT-7.
Dizon previously said that the construction will be restarted immediately once the contract for the project is awarded to the new contractor, with the station planned to open in 2027.
With LRMC’s potential assumption of the project, Batan said the agency is maintaining the target.
“That is still what we are working on,” said Batan. “That’s what we are discussing with our private partner on how to achieve the target.”
Once completed, the common station aims to provide seamless access between Metro Manila’s railways, including LRT-1, MRT-3, and MRT-7.
Located in North EDSA, Quezon City, the Unified Grand Central Station features a 13,700-square-meter (sqm) concourse that allows commuters to transfer between rail lines.
The station features an intermodal integrated system below, providing immediate access to public transportation options, including buses, jeepneys, and taxis.
