The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) aims to award the P171-billion North-South Commuter Railway-South Line deal two months before President Aquino bows out from office in June 2016.
In a bid bulletin, the agency said it aims to complete the tender process for the railway project in less than a year, with the bid submission date now scheduled for March 28.
Awarding should be a month after, or April 27, about two months before the President bids good-bye to his
office in Malacañang.
The South Line of the larger $6.27-billion North-South Commuter Railway project aims to connect Manila to Matnog in Sorsogon. The winner of the deal will construct the 56-km double-track commuter rail from Tutuban in Manila City to Calamba City in Laguna. It will also be in charge of the rehab of the existing 422-km Philippine National Railways (PNR) Mainline South long-haul line, which runs from Calamba City to Legaspi City.
It will also construct new single-track long-haul lines from Legaspi City to Matnog, Sorsogon (117 km), and from Calamba City to Batangas City (58 km). The railway line, which was auctioned off under the Public-Private Partnership Program, will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2019.
The first phase of the facility, which will be funded by a loan package from Japan, will involve the construction of a 36.7-kilometer narrow gauge elevated commuter railway from Malolos, Bulacan, to Tutuban in Manila. It is seen to be completed by the third quarter of 2020.
Essentially, the whole project aims to revive the Bicol line of the PNR, while improving its decades-old facilities that are far below the train systems of its peers.
The two-phase project is part of the P4.76-trillion Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and its Surrounding Areas, otherwise known as the Dream Plan, that was formulated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The Dream Plan lists the transport infrastructure requirements of the Philippines, facilities that are expected to alleviate potential losses and gain from prospective savings.
If the transport roadmap would not be implemented through 2030, the Philippines stands to lose roughly P6 billion daily in traffic costs. Currently, it loses P2 billion a day in transport costs.
1 comment
My jaded mind tells me that there is something afoot in the timing of the award of this megaproject. A few days before the election in May and two months before the PNoy admin demise is not that coincidental.