Build & Move

Metro Manila’s Unified Grand Central Station has started construction

The long-awaited Common Station will link the MRT-3, LRT-1, MRT-7, and the Metro Manila Subway.

After eight years of delay, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI), Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), San Miguel Corp. (SMC), and the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) finally inked a deal that will forever change transportation in the Capital Region.

Claire Jiao briefly recalls the history of the project prior to construction:

2009 — Light Rail Transit Authority signed a deal with SMPHI to have the station built near SM North EDSA. It was put on hold the same year due to legal issues.

2014 — (What was then the) Department of Transportation and Communications decided to build the common station near TriNoma, a rival mall across the street from SM North EDSA, to cut costs. SMPHI took the matter to the Supreme Court, which issued a temporary restraining order in favor of SMPHI to stop the construction of the common station near TriNoma.

2016 — In September, SMPHI and ALI signed a memorandum of understanding to build the station between the two malls.

2017 — In January, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with private companies and government agencies to start construction of the station.

“The station, which will be located at the North Avenue station of the MRT-3, is being built under a Public-Private Partnership Project and will cost ₱2.8 billion.

The DOTr said that passenger comfort and ease of transfer are the primary considerations of the project as passengers will only have to walk between 50 to 200 meters to get to their trains using the common station, with terminals for jeepneys, buses and UV express shuttles located outside.

In addition, the plan includes a 13,700-square-meter main concourse so that commuters will no longer need to line up outside in the heat or under the rain,” adds Jiao.

During the September 29 groundbreaking ceremony, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade expressed his gratitude to the private shareholders for “setting aside their differences for the common good.”

The station aims to serve nearly half a million commuters daily by 2020.

via CNN Philippines / Claire Jiao

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