By Betheena Kae Unite
A two-kilometer segment of a toll road project that will link Costal Road in Parañaque City and Circumferential Road-5 in Taguig City is nearly halfway done and is expected to be completed by March 2019, Public Works and Highways chief Mark Villar said.
Construction is progressing on time for C5 South Link Expressway that will connect Manila–Cavite Expressway or Coastal Road and C-5, Villar announced following an inspection on the project recently.
“Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (CIC) is nearly halfway in terms of construction accomplishment. They are currently working on the 2.2-kilometer Segment 3A-1 from SLEX/C5 Road to Merville, crossing on top of PNR station by the Skyway at grade between Nichols Toll Plaza and Bicutan,” Villar said.
“We expect to complete this segment by March 2019,” he added.
According to CIC president Luigi Bautista, girders across PNR area have been launched while long span steel girders that will cross the at grade portion of Skyway and South Luzon Expressway is set in the coming days.
After the completion of the 2.2-kilometer segment (3A-1), works will begin on the 2.1-kilometer segment (3A-2) from Merville to E. Rodriguez as well as the 1.59-kilometer segment (3B) from Rodriguez Avenue to Sucat, and the Segment 2 which starts from Sucat and ends in Coastal Road, Parañaque City.
Villar said that the DPWH is simultaneously working on road right-of-way acquisition for the project. The department has already acquired 74 percent of the road right-of-way in Segment 3A-2; 69 percent in Segment 2; and 17 percent in Segment 3B.
The whole P10-billion C5 South Link Expressway is expected for completion and full operation by 2020.
When completed, C5 South Link Expressway will be a 7.74-kilometer, 6-lane expressway that will provide access between the major business districts in Makati, Taguig area and the southern cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas, as well as Cavite. It will cut travel time from one hour and a half to just 20 to 30 minutes, Villar said.
The project will also generate at least 1,000 jobs during construction, operation and maintenance phases, the secretary added.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Thursday, October 11, 2018
MPTC confident on C-5 South Link progress
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), the road infrastructure arm of conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said it has resolved various right-of-way challenges that would allow it to deliver the first section of the P10-billion C-5 South Link Expressway Project of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway three months ahead of schedule.
“The right-of-way issue with MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) has been resolved. Contractually they have to finish it by June but we said we can fasttrack it,” Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. president and chief executive officer Luigi Bautista said.
The first section of the C-5 South Link Expressway Project, a 2.2-kilometer section which connects C5 to Merville in Parañaque, is now poised for completion by March next year.
The first set of girders of the main bridge have already been installed and was inspected by officials led Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar yesterday.
The main bridge crosses on top of the PNR station by the Skyway at grade between Nichols Toll Plaza and Bicutan and is part of the first section of the C-5 South Link Expressway Project.
“We have launched girders starting last Oct. 6 across PNR area, and we are set to launch long span steel girders that will cross the at-grade portion of Skyway and South Luzon Expressway in the coming days. This is a critical activity of the project and we expect substantial completion after the girders are installed,” Bautista said.
“The project is progressing on time and this is good news to the estimated 50,000 vehicles that will be decongested in Sales Road in Pasay and EDSA when it starts commercial operations. Travel time from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite to Taguig will be cut to 20 to 30 minutes from the usual one and a half hour drive with the direct access to C5. This is an important project which is part of the BBB program of this government,” Villar said separately.
In line with the construction, MPTC is seeking the understanding and patience of all motorists for the temporary inconvenience.
“In cooperation with the Skyway Operations and Management Corp., partial closures of Skyway and Skyway at grade during off-peak hours is implemented. This is necessary when we position and install the girders. Additionally, we are working closely with MMDA, DOTR, DPWH and the Taguig, Pasay and Parañaque LGUs on the traffic management. The completion of the launching should allow us to complete and open the Merville section of C5 South Link by the end of March of 2019,” Bautista said.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said it is working closely with MPTC to find ways to manage traffic flow on the conglomerate’s South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Skyway System, both of which will be heavily affected by MPTC’s C-5 South Link Expressway project.
As Cavitex starts work to launch girders that will cross the at-grade portion of SMC’s Skyway and SLEX, the conglomerate said it expects higher traffic build-up on its expressways.
“We have offered assistance to MPIC to make sure its project gets delivered on time to minimize inconvenience and provide the full benefits of C-5 South Link to our motorists in the soonest possible time. We recognize and support government’s objective to develop a more expansive network of roads of which this new construction is part of,” SMC president and COO Ramon Ang said.
Initially, SMC, through its infrastructure unit SMC Tollways, has implemented a stop-and-go scheme from Oct. 6 up to Nov. 15 at Nichols Toll Plaza, C5 (at-grade), and Skyway Elevated segment between Magallanes and Bicutan in order to manage traffic in the area.
“SMC apologizes for the temporary inconvenience, even as it advised motorists to plan their trips ahead during the period,“ it said.
“The right-of-way issue with MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) has been resolved. Contractually they have to finish it by June but we said we can fasttrack it,” Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. president and chief executive officer Luigi Bautista said.
The first section of the C-5 South Link Expressway Project, a 2.2-kilometer section which connects C5 to Merville in Parañaque, is now poised for completion by March next year.
The first set of girders of the main bridge have already been installed and was inspected by officials led Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar yesterday.
The main bridge crosses on top of the PNR station by the Skyway at grade between Nichols Toll Plaza and Bicutan and is part of the first section of the C-5 South Link Expressway Project.
“We have launched girders starting last Oct. 6 across PNR area, and we are set to launch long span steel girders that will cross the at-grade portion of Skyway and South Luzon Expressway in the coming days. This is a critical activity of the project and we expect substantial completion after the girders are installed,” Bautista said.
“The project is progressing on time and this is good news to the estimated 50,000 vehicles that will be decongested in Sales Road in Pasay and EDSA when it starts commercial operations. Travel time from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite to Taguig will be cut to 20 to 30 minutes from the usual one and a half hour drive with the direct access to C5. This is an important project which is part of the BBB program of this government,” Villar said separately.
In line with the construction, MPTC is seeking the understanding and patience of all motorists for the temporary inconvenience.
“In cooperation with the Skyway Operations and Management Corp., partial closures of Skyway and Skyway at grade during off-peak hours is implemented. This is necessary when we position and install the girders. Additionally, we are working closely with MMDA, DOTR, DPWH and the Taguig, Pasay and Parañaque LGUs on the traffic management. The completion of the launching should allow us to complete and open the Merville section of C5 South Link by the end of March of 2019,” Bautista said.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said it is working closely with MPTC to find ways to manage traffic flow on the conglomerate’s South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Skyway System, both of which will be heavily affected by MPTC’s C-5 South Link Expressway project.
As Cavitex starts work to launch girders that will cross the at-grade portion of SMC’s Skyway and SLEX, the conglomerate said it expects higher traffic build-up on its expressways.
“We have offered assistance to MPIC to make sure its project gets delivered on time to minimize inconvenience and provide the full benefits of C-5 South Link to our motorists in the soonest possible time. We recognize and support government’s objective to develop a more expansive network of roads of which this new construction is part of,” SMC president and COO Ramon Ang said.
Initially, SMC, through its infrastructure unit SMC Tollways, has implemented a stop-and-go scheme from Oct. 6 up to Nov. 15 at Nichols Toll Plaza, C5 (at-grade), and Skyway Elevated segment between Magallanes and Bicutan in order to manage traffic in the area.
“SMC apologizes for the temporary inconvenience, even as it advised motorists to plan their trips ahead during the period,“ it said.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Parañaque transport terminal opening soon
By Emmie V. Abadilla
The country’s first landport, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), with a capacity for 200,000 passengers daily, starts full commercial operations next month.
One of the flagship projects of the Philippine Government to ease traffic congestion in inner Metro Manila, the 35-year Build-Transfer-Operate concession was awarded to engineering and infrastructure conglomerate Megawide in 2015.
“Preparations for the opening are in full swing,” announced Louie Ferrer, President of Megawide subsidiary MWM Terminals, Inc., developer of the PITX.
“We will be on soft opening this October with full operations scheduled this November. We are working closely with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and affiliated agencies such as the LTFRB to ensure that we are ready.”
The PITX will serve passengers from Cavite and Batangas going to Metro Manila and vice versa, allowing transfers between different modes of land transportation such as buses, taxis, jeepneys and other PUVs.
The terminal building will have three levels. Departure bays for buses, jeepneys, and taxis are situated on the ground floor while Bus Arrival bays are located on the second floor.
The third floor is dedicated to private car parking facilities, AUV bays, and will have the future connection to the LRT-1 extension project.
PITX has a terminal capacity of 200,000 passengers per day with an expected footfall of close to 100,000 passengers daily.
The terminal systems are designed to be passenger-friendly, such as the assured seating system for buses, public information displays in multiple locations, and ample seating throughout the facility.
Automated boarding pass scanners will ensure that passengers can board buses only during their chosen trip schedules.
“Our goal is to deliver hassle-free transfers between multiple modes of transportation in PITX. Many of our technologies are being used for the first time in a bus terminal setting in the country,” Ferrer concluded.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/10/09/paranaque-transport-terminal-opening-soon/
The country’s first landport, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), with a capacity for 200,000 passengers daily, starts full commercial operations next month.
One of the flagship projects of the Philippine Government to ease traffic congestion in inner Metro Manila, the 35-year Build-Transfer-Operate concession was awarded to engineering and infrastructure conglomerate Megawide in 2015.
“Preparations for the opening are in full swing,” announced Louie Ferrer, President of Megawide subsidiary MWM Terminals, Inc., developer of the PITX.
“We will be on soft opening this October with full operations scheduled this November. We are working closely with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and affiliated agencies such as the LTFRB to ensure that we are ready.”
The PITX will serve passengers from Cavite and Batangas going to Metro Manila and vice versa, allowing transfers between different modes of land transportation such as buses, taxis, jeepneys and other PUVs.
The terminal building will have three levels. Departure bays for buses, jeepneys, and taxis are situated on the ground floor while Bus Arrival bays are located on the second floor.
The third floor is dedicated to private car parking facilities, AUV bays, and will have the future connection to the LRT-1 extension project.
PITX has a terminal capacity of 200,000 passengers per day with an expected footfall of close to 100,000 passengers daily.
The terminal systems are designed to be passenger-friendly, such as the assured seating system for buses, public information displays in multiple locations, and ample seating throughout the facility.
Automated boarding pass scanners will ensure that passengers can board buses only during their chosen trip schedules.
“Our goal is to deliver hassle-free transfers between multiple modes of transportation in PITX. Many of our technologies are being used for the first time in a bus terminal setting in the country,” Ferrer concluded.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/10/09/paranaque-transport-terminal-opening-soon/
Monday, October 8, 2018
MRT3 loan delayed
The signing of a multibillion-peso loan agreement with Japan to rehabilitate the busy Metro Rail Transit Line 3 has hit a snag in terms of its timing.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters on Friday that the signing of the loan, initially expected in June and then eventually moved to September this year, would happen within the next two months.
While declining to elaborate, Tugade said a key reason was the fate of the 48 train coaches from China’s CRRC Dalian that were procured during the Aquino administration.
The Dalian trains, which would add to badly-needed capacity at the MRT3, remain unused years after their delivery.
Last July, the DOTr said an independent audit conducted by Germany’s TUV Rheinland showed certain defects, including weight measurements that did not conform to what was required under the contract. Dalian was later told to repair the trains and then last month, the DOTr said simulation runs to test the trains for reliability would be held in October.
It was not immediately clear whether the results of the test run were a prerequisite to the signing of the loan deal with Japan.
“It’s close, we’re just clarifying [the timing],” Tugade said.
Still, it was the first time the transportation secretary publicly linked the situation between the Dalian trains and the DOTr’s own initiative to bring back Japanese expertise in the MRT3. Japan and China are known rivals in the global railway space, with Southeast Asia being a key battleground.
The DOTr is seeking Japan’s assistance, in part, because Japanese firms Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries handled maintenance operations for the MRT3’s first 12 years of operations.
Japan is also offering generous loan terms, the department had said.
According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the loan provision would amount to a maximum of 38.1 billion yen or about P18 billion. The interest rate was set at 0.1 percent a year with repayment in 28 years after a grace period of 12 years.
The DOTr said last May that the rehabilitation and maintenance contract will run for 43 months. It said 31 months were allocated “for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT3 to its original design condition and capacity.”
The rehabilitation plan also requires the approval of the board of the National Economic and Development Authority chaired by President Duterte.
The deteriorated condition of the MRT3 has been a constant source of criticism for both the Aquino and Duterte administrations.
Some experts believed this deterioration accelerated when the Aquino administration, in 2012, did not renew the contract with Mitsubishi-Sumitomo, mainly citing the high cost. Other providers were tapped, including a Filipino-Korean venture known as Busan Universal Rail Inc. Its selection led to the filing of graft charges against former government officials, including then Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya, in October last year.
https://business.inquirer.net/258630/mrt3-loan-delayed
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters on Friday that the signing of the loan, initially expected in June and then eventually moved to September this year, would happen within the next two months.
While declining to elaborate, Tugade said a key reason was the fate of the 48 train coaches from China’s CRRC Dalian that were procured during the Aquino administration.
The Dalian trains, which would add to badly-needed capacity at the MRT3, remain unused years after their delivery.
Last July, the DOTr said an independent audit conducted by Germany’s TUV Rheinland showed certain defects, including weight measurements that did not conform to what was required under the contract. Dalian was later told to repair the trains and then last month, the DOTr said simulation runs to test the trains for reliability would be held in October.
It was not immediately clear whether the results of the test run were a prerequisite to the signing of the loan deal with Japan.
“It’s close, we’re just clarifying [the timing],” Tugade said.
Still, it was the first time the transportation secretary publicly linked the situation between the Dalian trains and the DOTr’s own initiative to bring back Japanese expertise in the MRT3. Japan and China are known rivals in the global railway space, with Southeast Asia being a key battleground.
The DOTr is seeking Japan’s assistance, in part, because Japanese firms Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries handled maintenance operations for the MRT3’s first 12 years of operations.
Japan is also offering generous loan terms, the department had said.
According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the loan provision would amount to a maximum of 38.1 billion yen or about P18 billion. The interest rate was set at 0.1 percent a year with repayment in 28 years after a grace period of 12 years.
The DOTr said last May that the rehabilitation and maintenance contract will run for 43 months. It said 31 months were allocated “for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT3 to its original design condition and capacity.”
The rehabilitation plan also requires the approval of the board of the National Economic and Development Authority chaired by President Duterte.
The deteriorated condition of the MRT3 has been a constant source of criticism for both the Aquino and Duterte administrations.
Some experts believed this deterioration accelerated when the Aquino administration, in 2012, did not renew the contract with Mitsubishi-Sumitomo, mainly citing the high cost. Other providers were tapped, including a Filipino-Korean venture known as Busan Universal Rail Inc. Its selection led to the filing of graft charges against former government officials, including then Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya, in October last year.
https://business.inquirer.net/258630/mrt3-loan-delayed
DOTr: Japan, PHL need to sign ODA package to rehab MRT 3
MANILA and Tokyo should sign the official development assistance (ODA) package for the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 as early as this month, a Cabinet official said, a two-month delay from the original target.
The delay, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said, stems from some kinks that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) raised, particularly issues pertaining to the trains supplied by manufacturer Dalian CRRC Dalian Co. of China.
“I wanted to sign it in August or September, but it did not push though. It’s not that the parties didn’t want to sign. There’s just an angle to it, which is Dalian,” he said in a chance interview.
The Aquino administration jump-started the acquisition of 48 new train cars for the Edsa line. It faced several years of delay due to a legal tussle with the owner of the train facility, MRT Corp.’s parent company, MRT Holdings Inc.
Despite having received the first set of trains in early-2016, the deployment of the new coaches was deferred because all 48 light-rail vehicles had to be “optimized and tested.” On board signaling was amiss from the train, and was only procured midway through the construction of the 48 train units.
The on board signaling system was only installed in the trains in November 2016. The initial batch of trains should have been deployed in March of the same year, based on original targets.
After these issue were settled, the transportation department wanted to deploy the 48 trains in March 2017. However, it failed to do so after groups raised issues on the train’s weight.
The whole expansion project, amounting to P3.8 billion, will increase the capacity of the line to 880,000 daily passengers from a rate capacity of 350,000 commuters per day.
Independent auditor TUV Rheinland evaluated the whole MRT 3 system earlier this year, and noted “technical issues” in the Dalian-made trains. The transportation department’s chief earlier said these issues should be fixed and paid for by the manufacturer, and not the Philippine government.
For now, Tugade noted his group and their Japanese counterparts are now discussing the issue on the Dalian trains.
“The target is to sign by next month or sometime this month. I give short-period targets to pressure our people,” Tugade said.
Japan is extending a hand to help fix the train system through an overhaul and the procurement of a maintenance provider, particularly Sumitomo Corp.—the builder of the railway line and the decade-long maintenance provider of the system.
The P16.98-billion loan facility will be used to cover the railway line’s trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, closed-circuit television system, public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators and other station-building equipment. Tentatively, the whole deal will take about three and a half years or 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to the restore train system to its original design, condition and capacity, and a year for the defect liability period.
“We are discussing this and we are close to signing it,” Tugade said.
Aside from this, the government is also considering the P30-billion unsolicited proposal for the modernization and expansion of the train system submitted by Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
Submitted in 2017, the unsolicited proposal involves the expansion of the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. It will double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day from the current 350,000 passengers daily.
The multi-million-dollar expansion is deemed as an all-encompassing deal, including the improvement of the reliability of rolling stock, the upgrading of power supply, the upgrading of stations and the replacement of rails, which will allow the company to operate the new trains purchased by the government from Chinese train manufacturer Dalian.
Unsolicited proposals are required, under the law, to be subjected to a Swiss challenge, where other groups can offer a similar proposal, and the original proponent can present a counteroffer.
The government awarded the original-proponent status to Metro Pacific last year.
Metro Pacific has nominated Light Rail Manila Corp. as its corporate vehicle for the MRT 3 deal. The company, a partnership between Metro Pacific and Ayala Corp., operates the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.
Its proposal for the MRT mimicked the same provisions under its concession agreement for the LRT 1 operations and modernization deal, which it bagged in 2014 via the Public-Private Partnership Program.
It means that, instead of having a different operator and maintenance provider, the group will be the one to do both.
Currently, the MRT 3 operates with 16 working trains daily, serving roughly 350,000 passengers per day. The government wants to increase this to 600,000 passengers daily.
The delay, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said, stems from some kinks that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) raised, particularly issues pertaining to the trains supplied by manufacturer Dalian CRRC Dalian Co. of China.
“I wanted to sign it in August or September, but it did not push though. It’s not that the parties didn’t want to sign. There’s just an angle to it, which is Dalian,” he said in a chance interview.
The Aquino administration jump-started the acquisition of 48 new train cars for the Edsa line. It faced several years of delay due to a legal tussle with the owner of the train facility, MRT Corp.’s parent company, MRT Holdings Inc.
Despite having received the first set of trains in early-2016, the deployment of the new coaches was deferred because all 48 light-rail vehicles had to be “optimized and tested.” On board signaling was amiss from the train, and was only procured midway through the construction of the 48 train units.
The on board signaling system was only installed in the trains in November 2016. The initial batch of trains should have been deployed in March of the same year, based on original targets.
After these issue were settled, the transportation department wanted to deploy the 48 trains in March 2017. However, it failed to do so after groups raised issues on the train’s weight.
The whole expansion project, amounting to P3.8 billion, will increase the capacity of the line to 880,000 daily passengers from a rate capacity of 350,000 commuters per day.
Independent auditor TUV Rheinland evaluated the whole MRT 3 system earlier this year, and noted “technical issues” in the Dalian-made trains. The transportation department’s chief earlier said these issues should be fixed and paid for by the manufacturer, and not the Philippine government.
For now, Tugade noted his group and their Japanese counterparts are now discussing the issue on the Dalian trains.
“The target is to sign by next month or sometime this month. I give short-period targets to pressure our people,” Tugade said.
Japan is extending a hand to help fix the train system through an overhaul and the procurement of a maintenance provider, particularly Sumitomo Corp.—the builder of the railway line and the decade-long maintenance provider of the system.
The P16.98-billion loan facility will be used to cover the railway line’s trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, closed-circuit television system, public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators and other station-building equipment. Tentatively, the whole deal will take about three and a half years or 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to the restore train system to its original design, condition and capacity, and a year for the defect liability period.
“We are discussing this and we are close to signing it,” Tugade said.
Aside from this, the government is also considering the P30-billion unsolicited proposal for the modernization and expansion of the train system submitted by Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
Submitted in 2017, the unsolicited proposal involves the expansion of the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. It will double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day from the current 350,000 passengers daily.
The multi-million-dollar expansion is deemed as an all-encompassing deal, including the improvement of the reliability of rolling stock, the upgrading of power supply, the upgrading of stations and the replacement of rails, which will allow the company to operate the new trains purchased by the government from Chinese train manufacturer Dalian.
Unsolicited proposals are required, under the law, to be subjected to a Swiss challenge, where other groups can offer a similar proposal, and the original proponent can present a counteroffer.
The government awarded the original-proponent status to Metro Pacific last year.
Metro Pacific has nominated Light Rail Manila Corp. as its corporate vehicle for the MRT 3 deal. The company, a partnership between Metro Pacific and Ayala Corp., operates the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.
Its proposal for the MRT mimicked the same provisions under its concession agreement for the LRT 1 operations and modernization deal, which it bagged in 2014 via the Public-Private Partnership Program.
It means that, instead of having a different operator and maintenance provider, the group will be the one to do both.
Currently, the MRT 3 operates with 16 working trains daily, serving roughly 350,000 passengers per day. The government wants to increase this to 600,000 passengers daily.
Issues with Dalian trains delaying new MRT-3 maintenance agreement
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said issues with Chinese commuter trains ordered from CRRC Dalian Co trains are delaying the signing of maintenance deal with Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo-MHI) for Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade told reporters on Friday that the deal is still expected for signing within the next two months, after the original timetable of an August or September signing lapsed.
“There’s still an issue about the Dalian trains. We’re still discussing it,” he said.
The Dalian trains are 48 Light Rail Vehicles procured under the previous government intended for use on the MRT-3, but the DoTr said they cannot be deployed yet because of issues centered on the measurements and weight of the trains.
“I wanted that signed already…. It’s not that they don’t want to sign. We’re just talking about the timing,” Mr. Tugade added, without providing details.
The DoTr said late last year that it was in high-level discussions with the government of Japan for the comeback of Sumitomo-MHI as the maintenance provider for the MRT-3. The Japanese firms designed the system between 1998 and 2000 and maintained it for 12 years until 2012.
Last month, the DoTr directed the Philippine National Railways (PNR) to conduct simulated runs with the Dalian trains to test their suitability for revenue service.
After the evaluation, PNR must submit a report to Mr. Tugade indicating if the train sets still need further adjustment from CRRC Dalian before deployment. The Chinese firm committed to the DoTr in July to rectify problems with the trains for free.
The DoTr terminated its contract with MRT-3 maintenance provider Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI) late last year, alleging its failure to maintain the train line’s efficiency. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/issues-with-dalian-trains-delaying-new-mrt-3-maintenance-agreement/
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade told reporters on Friday that the deal is still expected for signing within the next two months, after the original timetable of an August or September signing lapsed.
“There’s still an issue about the Dalian trains. We’re still discussing it,” he said.
The Dalian trains are 48 Light Rail Vehicles procured under the previous government intended for use on the MRT-3, but the DoTr said they cannot be deployed yet because of issues centered on the measurements and weight of the trains.
“I wanted that signed already…. It’s not that they don’t want to sign. We’re just talking about the timing,” Mr. Tugade added, without providing details.
The DoTr said late last year that it was in high-level discussions with the government of Japan for the comeback of Sumitomo-MHI as the maintenance provider for the MRT-3. The Japanese firms designed the system between 1998 and 2000 and maintained it for 12 years until 2012.
Last month, the DoTr directed the Philippine National Railways (PNR) to conduct simulated runs with the Dalian trains to test their suitability for revenue service.
After the evaluation, PNR must submit a report to Mr. Tugade indicating if the train sets still need further adjustment from CRRC Dalian before deployment. The Chinese firm committed to the DoTr in July to rectify problems with the trains for free.
The DoTr terminated its contract with MRT-3 maintenance provider Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI) late last year, alleging its failure to maintain the train line’s efficiency. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/issues-with-dalian-trains-delaying-new-mrt-3-maintenance-agreement/
DOTr: Japan, PHL need to sign ODA package to rehab MRT 3
MANILA and Tokyo should sign the official development assistance (ODA) package for the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 as early as this month, a Cabinet official said, a two-month delay from the original target.
The delay, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said, stems from some kinks that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) raised, particularly issues pertaining to the trains supplied by manufacturer Dalian CRRC Dalian Co. of China.
“I wanted to sign it in August or September, but it did not push though. It’s not that the parties didn’t want to sign. There’s just an angle to it, which is Dalian,” he said in a chance interview.
The Aquino administration jump-started the acquisition of 48 new train cars for the Edsa line. It faced several years of delay due to a legal tussle with the owner of the train facility, MRT Corp.’s parent company, MRT Holdings Inc.
Despite having received the first set of trains in early-2016, the deployment of the new coaches was deferred because all 48 light-rail vehicles had to be “optimized and tested.” Onboard signaling was amiss from the train, and was only procured midway through the construction of the 48 train units.
The onboard signaling system was only installed in the trains in November 2016. The initial batch of trains should have been deployed in March of the same year, based on original targets.
After these issue were settled, the transportation department wanted to deploy the 48 trains in March 2017. However, it failed to do so after groups raised issues on the train’s weight.
The whole expansion project, amounting to P3.8 billion, will increase the capacity of the line to 880,000 daily passengers from a rate capacity of 350,000 commuters per day.
Independent auditor TUV Rheinland evaluated the whole MRT 3 system earlier this year, and noted “technical issues” in the Dalian-made trains. The transportation department’s chief earlier said these issues should be fixed and paid for by the manufacturer, and not the Philippine government.
For now, Tugade noted his group and their Japanese counterparts are now discussing the issue on the Dalian trains.
“The target is to sign by next month or sometime this month. I give short-period targets to pressure our people,” Tugade said.
Japan is extending a hand to help fix the train system through an overhaul and the procurement of a maintenance provider, particularly Sumitomo Corp.—the builder of the railway line and the decadelong maintenance provider of the system.
The P16.98-billion loan facility will be used to cover the railway line’s trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, closed-circuit television system, public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators and other station-building equipment. Tentatively, the whole deal will take about three and a half years or 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to the restore train system to its original design, condition and capacity, and a year for the defect liability period.
“We are discussing this and we are close to signing it,” Tugade said.
Aside from this, the government is also considering the P30-billion unsolicited proposal for the modernization and expansion of the train system submitted by Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
Submitted in 2017, the unsolicited proposal involves the expansion of the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. It will double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day from the current 350,000 passengers daily.
The multi-million-dollar expansion is deemed as an all-encompassing deal, including the improvement of the reliability of rolling stock, the upgrading of power supply, the upgrading of stations and the replacement of rails, which will allow the company to operate the new trains purchased by the government from Chinese train manufacturer Dalian.
Unsolicited proposals are required, under the law, to be subjected to a Swiss challenge, where other groups can offer a similar proposal, and the original proponent can present a counteroffer.
The government awarded the original-proponent status to Metro Pacific last year.
Metro Pacific has nominated Light Rail Manila Corp. as its corporate vehicle for the MRT 3 deal. The company, a partnership between Metro Pacific and Ayala Corp., operates the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.
Its proposal for the MRT mimicked the same provisions under its concession agreement for the LRT 1 operations and modernization deal, which it bagged in 2014 via the Public-Private Partnership Program.
It means that, instead of having a different operator and maintenance provider, the group will be the one to do both.
Currently, the MRT 3 operates with 16 working trains daily, serving roughly 350,000 passengers per day. The government wants to increase this to 600,000 passengers daily.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/dotr-japan-phl-need-to-sign-oda-package-to-rehab-mrt-3/
The delay, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said, stems from some kinks that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) raised, particularly issues pertaining to the trains supplied by manufacturer Dalian CRRC Dalian Co. of China.
“I wanted to sign it in August or September, but it did not push though. It’s not that the parties didn’t want to sign. There’s just an angle to it, which is Dalian,” he said in a chance interview.
The Aquino administration jump-started the acquisition of 48 new train cars for the Edsa line. It faced several years of delay due to a legal tussle with the owner of the train facility, MRT Corp.’s parent company, MRT Holdings Inc.
Despite having received the first set of trains in early-2016, the deployment of the new coaches was deferred because all 48 light-rail vehicles had to be “optimized and tested.” Onboard signaling was amiss from the train, and was only procured midway through the construction of the 48 train units.
The onboard signaling system was only installed in the trains in November 2016. The initial batch of trains should have been deployed in March of the same year, based on original targets.
After these issue were settled, the transportation department wanted to deploy the 48 trains in March 2017. However, it failed to do so after groups raised issues on the train’s weight.
The whole expansion project, amounting to P3.8 billion, will increase the capacity of the line to 880,000 daily passengers from a rate capacity of 350,000 commuters per day.
Independent auditor TUV Rheinland evaluated the whole MRT 3 system earlier this year, and noted “technical issues” in the Dalian-made trains. The transportation department’s chief earlier said these issues should be fixed and paid for by the manufacturer, and not the Philippine government.
For now, Tugade noted his group and their Japanese counterparts are now discussing the issue on the Dalian trains.
“The target is to sign by next month or sometime this month. I give short-period targets to pressure our people,” Tugade said.
Japan is extending a hand to help fix the train system through an overhaul and the procurement of a maintenance provider, particularly Sumitomo Corp.—the builder of the railway line and the decadelong maintenance provider of the system.
The P16.98-billion loan facility will be used to cover the railway line’s trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, closed-circuit television system, public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators and other station-building equipment. Tentatively, the whole deal will take about three and a half years or 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to the restore train system to its original design, condition and capacity, and a year for the defect liability period.
“We are discussing this and we are close to signing it,” Tugade said.
Aside from this, the government is also considering the P30-billion unsolicited proposal for the modernization and expansion of the train system submitted by Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
Submitted in 2017, the unsolicited proposal involves the expansion of the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. It will double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day from the current 350,000 passengers daily.
The multi-million-dollar expansion is deemed as an all-encompassing deal, including the improvement of the reliability of rolling stock, the upgrading of power supply, the upgrading of stations and the replacement of rails, which will allow the company to operate the new trains purchased by the government from Chinese train manufacturer Dalian.
Unsolicited proposals are required, under the law, to be subjected to a Swiss challenge, where other groups can offer a similar proposal, and the original proponent can present a counteroffer.
The government awarded the original-proponent status to Metro Pacific last year.
Metro Pacific has nominated Light Rail Manila Corp. as its corporate vehicle for the MRT 3 deal. The company, a partnership between Metro Pacific and Ayala Corp., operates the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.
Its proposal for the MRT mimicked the same provisions under its concession agreement for the LRT 1 operations and modernization deal, which it bagged in 2014 via the Public-Private Partnership Program.
It means that, instead of having a different operator and maintenance provider, the group will be the one to do both.
Currently, the MRT 3 operates with 16 working trains daily, serving roughly 350,000 passengers per day. The government wants to increase this to 600,000 passengers daily.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/dotr-japan-phl-need-to-sign-oda-package-to-rehab-mrt-3/
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