The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is optimistic the construction of the common station for the four railway systems in Metro Manila will be completed by 2021.
Arthur Tugade, transportation secretary, together with other DOTr officials inspected yesterday the ongoing construction of the most-awaited common station in North Edsa.
Dubbed as the Unified Grand Central Station, the 3,700-square-meter concourse area will interconnect with the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1), Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT-3), MRT-7 and the Metro Manila subway.
Construction is being done 24/7. The common station is expected to serve approximately 478,000 passengers daily once operational by 2021.
Currently, the common station’s Area B is already 96 percent complete.
The common station has three portions: Area A where the platform and concourse for LRT-1 and MRT-3 are located; Area B for the two concourses connecting Areas A and the Metro Manila subway system; and Area C, the location for the platform of MRT-7.
Last February, DOTr signed the contract with BF Corp. and Foresight Development and Surveying Company Consortium for the construction of Area A.
The common station will be financed by the government through the DOTr, while the concourse connecting the Trinoma mall to the rail system will be financed and built by the Ayala Group. The concourse for MRT-7 will developed and financed by San Miguel Corp.
The operation, maintenance and development will be split between Light Rail Manila Corp., the operator of LRT-1, and DOTr for MRT-3.
Meanwhile, the DOTr also inspected yesterday the ongoing construction of the LRT-1 Cavite extension, particularly the Dr. Santos station in Parañaque City.
The 11.7-kilometer project aims to lengthen the services of the LRT-1 from Baclaran to Niog, Bacoor.
Partial operation of the project is targeted by December 2021. Once completed, travel time between Baclaran and Bacoor is expected to drop from 1 hour and 10 minutes to just 25 minutes.
