“It is currently being studied by engineers because it is not really included in the original plan,” Transportation Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II told BusinessWorld in a chance interview last week, referring to the Metro Manila Integrated Rail Terminal or “common station” initially targeted by the earlier administration to be completed by May 2010.
This was supposed to link the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and the planned MRT-7 for seamless travel.
SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the operator of SM malls, had earlier given the Light Rail Transit Authority P200 million for “naming rights” over the project.
In the meantime, rival Ayala Land, Inc.’s TriNoma mall solely enjoys direct connection to the train station in the area.
A new station near SM City North EDSA, in between LRT-1’s Roosevelt Station and MRT-3’s North Ave. Station, might cause complications to the train loop, Mr. Roxas said.
“The last station of LRT-1 and the last station of [MRT-3] in TriNoma is roughly 600 meters apart only,” he said. “So it will disrupt the trains’ loop timing.”
Mr. Roxas said that in the event that the project will no longer push through, the government might return SM Prime’s money.
“We may return [it],” he said. [But] I don’t know if we can return it… I am not familiar with the terms.”
“We will do what is right. We cannot just proceed… There is no provision for [a common terminal] in the original design of the MRT-3,” Mr. Roxas added.
SM Investment Corp., the parent firm of SM Prime, declined to comment.
The 16.95-kilometer (km) MRT-3 runs along EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Ave.) from North Ave. in Quezon City to Taft Ave. in Manila.
The 20.7-km LRT-1, meanwhile, runs from Baclaran Station in Pasay City to Roosevelt Station in Quezon City.
Construction for the third line that would have been linked to the central terminal, MRT-7, has yet to secure “financial closure” from Japanese lenders, earlier reports show.
The project proposal was reportedly referred back to the National Economic and Development Authority from the Finance department for reevaluation, previous reports showed.
Nevertheless, San Miguel Corp. -- which controls Universal LRT Corp. (BVI) Ltd., the concessionaire of the MRT-7 -- has firmed up a deal with D. M. Consunji, Inc. last May for the construction of the railway.
The MRT-7 project involves the construction of a 22-km train line with 14 train stations from San Jose del Monte in Bulacan to the corner of North Ave. and EDSA in Quezon City, linking up with the LRT-1 and MRT-3.
Shares of SM Prime Holdings rose by 4.29% to P13.60 apiece while shares of San Miguel also went up by 1.33% to P114 apiece when the stock market closed on Friday.
Ayala Land shares rose by 0.49% to P20.45 apiece on Friday.
For latest update on real estate
development and its RA 9646, the Real Estate Service Act of 2009, visit
www.ra9646.com.
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 after the government has shelved a plan to build a train station near the SM City North EDSA mall last July 22.
ReplyDeleteThe 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.
Construction of the common station was supposed to be completed back in May 2010 during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but was temporarily put aside citing cost and engineering issues.
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 EDSA North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, while the 20.7-km LRT-1 North-South Line runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt Station in Quezon City.
The proposed MRT-7 North-East Line meantime stretches from San Jose del Monte Bulacan to North Avenue Quezon City with a total length of 22 kilometers involving 14 train stations.
Gov't drops SM North, eyes Trinoma as location of common station for MRT3, LRT1
ReplyDeleteBy: Darwin G. Amojelar, InterAksyon.com
May 30, 2013 4:28 PM
MANILA, Philippines, May 30, 2013 - SM Prime Holdings, Inc. may lose additional foot traffic at its biggest shopping mall in the country, after the government transferred the location of a common station that would link Metro Manila's three mass rail transit lines near Trinoma, which is owned and operated by rival Ayala Land, Inc.
"Clearly, we have decision there on the designs and the location. It's more of Trinoma because it's cheaper and lesser infrastructure unlike in SM [North Annex], didilim ang EDSA," Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said today.
At present, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) ends in front of the Trinoma Mall.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) earlier identified SM City North EDSA Annex 2 Building as the location for the planned common station. SM Prime already paid P200 million to state-run Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) for the “naming rights” of the common station.
"We've talked to them. For me, I don't mind to give it [money] back. It's naming right, not really location right. We have initial meeting and if they still want, we don't mind putting SM in this new location. If they want it back, we will return it [money]," Abaya said, referring to SM Prime.
Abaya said the government is still looking into how the project will be implemented.
"We are looking at government doing it or tacking it onto LRT Line 1 North Extension Project and putting in the contract that this is what you will do first," he said.
The common station would connect the MRT 3 to Light Rail Transit Line 1, and later on to the proposed MRT 7. The government has allotted P1.608 billion for the common station project.
At present, LRT-1 (North-South Line) runs from Baclaran to Roosevelt in Quezon City, while the MRT-3 (EDSA Line) runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City.
The planned MRT-7 (North-East Line) will begin at Tala, Caloocan City, passing through Lagro and Fairview, Novaliches, Batasan, Diliman, Philcoa, before ending at EDSA corner North Avenue near SM City North EDSA Annex 2 Building. The railway will serve an estimated two million commuters in the northern parts of Quezon and Caloocan cities.
Apart form the elevated transport system, MRT 7 proponent San Miguel Corporation will also build a 17-kilometer, 6-lane asphalt access road in Marilao, Bulacan that will lead to its depot in Tala.
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