House panel eyes temporary LRT-MRT common station

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on transportation supported yesterday a proposal to build a temporary common station that will connect Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 and Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1.

The panel made the move upon hearing from Rogelio Singson, president of the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), that the company has offered to build the common station.

LRMC, a joint venture between Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and the Ayalas, is the operator of LRT 1, Metro Manila’s first rail line that runs from Baclaran in Pasay to Roosevelt-EDSA in Quezon City.

MRT 3 is the rail line along EDSA, from Taft Avenue in Pasay to North Avenue in Quezon City.

Singson served as secretary of public works and highways during the Aquino administration.

Singson told congressmen the LRMC has made an offer to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to build a temporary station in front of SM City-North EDSA while the government is constructing the permanent common station between SM and the Ayalas’ Trinoma Mall.

He said the temporary platform would cost between P250 million and P280 million and could be completed in 10 months to one year.

“We are willing to do it if the government would accept our offer. It’s their decision,” he said.

Under DOTr’s timetable, Singson said the permanent common station would be finished by April 2019.

“If it’s not operational by that time, there would be penalties accruing to the concessionaires,” he said.

Stakeholders, including LRMC, the Ayalas, SM Malls, San Miguel Corp. and the DOTr have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the location and construction of the common station, which will cost the government P2.8 billion.

It will consist of two platforms – one near Trinoma for LRT 1 and MRT 3 and the other along North Avenue for the envisioned MRT 7 line to be built by San Miguel, which will traverse EDSA-Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Fairview to San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan.

Rep. Cesar Sarmiento of Catanduanes, who heads the transportation committee, urged DOTr officials to meet with Singson on the LRMC’s temporary station offer.

“I think that’s a win-win solution for the commuters,” Sarmiento said.

However, Marikina Rep. Bayani Fernando said spending at least P250 million would be “an unnecessary expense that could eventually be borne by the commuters.”

“We should look at the ultimate solution, which is the permanent common station subject of the MOA among stakeholders,” he said.

“What happens to the temporary station when the permanent station is built?” Fernando, former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, asked.

Other committee members said they could not imagine the traffic congestion the simultaneous construction of temporary and permanent common stations would create along EDSA.