The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is confident that the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) will greenlight two ambitious railway projects this year.
Over the weekend, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya revealed that the feasibility studies for two major railway projects in Luzon—the 900-kilometer Integrated Luzon Railway (ILR) and the 90-km commuter rail link (also known as the airport express rail)—are set to be completed early this year.
The projects will then be submitted to NEDA for approval.
“If we get NEDA clearance on both integrated Luzon railway and the north-south commuter railway, we can bid that out early this year,” Abaya said.
Abaya also cited the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in determining if the projects could potentially be placed under the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.
“We are about to finish the feasibility study and JICA is helping us on this. We will present to NEDA Board within the first semester to get the procurement on this much-awaited project under way,” he said.
Should it be approved, the proposed ILR would cover the entire north and south networks of the state-run Philippine National Railway (PNR). PNR’s north network runs from Manila to La Union as well as a branch line from Tarlac to San Jose, Nueva Ecija, with a possible extension to Cagayan.
Meanwhile, the south network runs from Manila to Legaspi City, including the branch line from Calamba to Batangas City.
Another option for the ILR, Abaya added, is to put up a connecting rail to Clark International Airport.
"Instead of building a high-speed rail, you use the same rail to have an airport link. But at least you have a decent rail system that could serve the airport,” the DOTC chief said.
Abaya said CPCS Transcom Ltd. of Canada is set to complete the feasibility study for the ILR that would run from Cagayan in Isabela down to Sorsogon in Bicol.
Commuter rail
The proposed elevated commuter rail, to be built above the PNR's existing rails, has an initial price tag of $5 billion and would run from Malolos, Bulacan to Calamba, Laguna.
It would take five to six years to complete both projects, should they be approved, Abaya said.
“So at least from our end, we will get this going and hopefully the people who would replace us at DOTC will find this as a viable project that will serve the people,” he said.
Better rails for less traffic
Meanwhile, an economics professor from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) has urged President Aquino to transfer the much-needed railway and mass transport functions to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from the DOTC.
“We need seamless inter-modal land transportation system. These have to not only to be designed and built on a parallel basis but on an efficient seamless transfer from one mode to another,” Dr. Vic Abola stressed.
Making the transfer would help address the worsening traffic situation in the country and in the Metro, he said.
A separate study by the JICA earlier stressed the need to put up at least 200 kilometers of railroad and over 100,000 kilometers in road networks to address the needs of the congested metropolis. — BM, GMA News
Over the weekend, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya revealed that the feasibility studies for two major railway projects in Luzon—the 900-kilometer Integrated Luzon Railway (ILR) and the 90-km commuter rail link (also known as the airport express rail)—are set to be completed early this year.
The projects will then be submitted to NEDA for approval.
“If we get NEDA clearance on both integrated Luzon railway and the north-south commuter railway, we can bid that out early this year,” Abaya said.
Abaya also cited the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in determining if the projects could potentially be placed under the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.
“We are about to finish the feasibility study and JICA is helping us on this. We will present to NEDA Board within the first semester to get the procurement on this much-awaited project under way,” he said.
Should it be approved, the proposed ILR would cover the entire north and south networks of the state-run Philippine National Railway (PNR). PNR’s north network runs from Manila to La Union as well as a branch line from Tarlac to San Jose, Nueva Ecija, with a possible extension to Cagayan.
Meanwhile, the south network runs from Manila to Legaspi City, including the branch line from Calamba to Batangas City.
Another option for the ILR, Abaya added, is to put up a connecting rail to Clark International Airport.
"Instead of building a high-speed rail, you use the same rail to have an airport link. But at least you have a decent rail system that could serve the airport,” the DOTC chief said.
Abaya said CPCS Transcom Ltd. of Canada is set to complete the feasibility study for the ILR that would run from Cagayan in Isabela down to Sorsogon in Bicol.
Commuter rail
The proposed elevated commuter rail, to be built above the PNR's existing rails, has an initial price tag of $5 billion and would run from Malolos, Bulacan to Calamba, Laguna.
It would take five to six years to complete both projects, should they be approved, Abaya said.
“So at least from our end, we will get this going and hopefully the people who would replace us at DOTC will find this as a viable project that will serve the people,” he said.
Better rails for less traffic
Meanwhile, an economics professor from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) has urged President Aquino to transfer the much-needed railway and mass transport functions to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from the DOTC.
“We need seamless inter-modal land transportation system. These have to not only to be designed and built on a parallel basis but on an efficient seamless transfer from one mode to another,” Dr. Vic Abola stressed.
Making the transfer would help address the worsening traffic situation in the country and in the Metro, he said.
A separate study by the JICA earlier stressed the need to put up at least 200 kilometers of railroad and over 100,000 kilometers in road networks to address the needs of the congested metropolis. — BM, GMA News
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