The government is ready to bid out the operation and maintenance (O&M) of two major rail projects — the country’s first-ever underground mass transport system, Metro Manila Subway Project, and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) — by the second half of the year, according to Timothy John Batan, Department of Transportation (DOTr) undersecretary for planning.
Batan told reporters in a recent interview there will be a separate bidding for the two major projects.
The DOTr continues to ramp up the construction work for the rail projects.
Funded by the Japanese government, the Metro Manila Subway aims to generate employment for Filipinos.
Construction is ongoing for the 33-kilometer, 17-station subway that will stretch from Valenzuela City to Parañaque City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The project is targeted to start partial operation by 2028.
Once completed, the underground rail system is expected to reduce travel time between Valenzuela City and Pasay City from one hour and 30 minutes to 35 minutes, and service over 500,000 passengers daily.
The subway also aims to upgrade the country’s transport sector to global standards and improve connectivity and mobility throughout the metropolis.
Meanwhile, construction of the massive 147-km NSCR is also ongoing. This will have 35 stations and will run on 51 commuter train sets and seven express train sets.
The NSCR is expected to cut travel time from Calamba, Laguna, to Clark Freeport in Pampanga from the current 4.5 hours travel time to just less than two hours, and service 600,000 passengers daily on full operations.
Aside from these projects, DOTr is also set to bid out the O&M of the Metro Rail Transit line 3 by the second semester, as the current build-lease-transfer contract with its private consortium ends by 2025.
