The Department of Transportation (DOTr) confirmed it is proceeding with the privatization of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), with the bidding process set to begin this year.
Photo: DOTr/Facebook
According to Giovanni Lopez, who served as DOTr’s secretary at the time of the announcement, the department aims to award the train concession to the winning bidder by mid-2027.
The department also aims to bid out the ₱103.6 billion MRT-3 operations and maintenance concession this year. However, then-Transport Secretary Lopez clarified that although the project will be undertaken through a PPP deal, DOTr will continue to regulate train fares.
“Through public-private partnership, we bring in the expertise and investment this line needs. Ang kailangan natin dito ‘yung may matagal nang experience sa pagpapatakbo ng riles para sa kapakinabangan ng mga komyuter,” Lopez said in a statement.
(“What we need here is someone with extensive experience in operating railways for the benefit of commuters.”)
He also stated that the MRT-3 line will be offered as a standalone project and will not be bundled with the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2). In 2023, the DOTr was previously reported to be eyeing bundling MRT-3 operations and maintenance with LRT-2.
Under the MRT-3 concession, the winning bidder will assume full responsibility for the line’s operations, maintenance, and train modernization.
Crossing 13 stations and running 16.9 kilometers along EDSA, MRT-3 serves 388,000 passengers daily traveling from the first station, North Avenue Station, to the last station, Taft Avenue.
Aside from MRT-3, the DOTr also aims to complete the bidding for the operations and maintenance (O&M) contract for the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project by 2027.
Photo: DOTr/Facebook
The NSCR, also known as the Clark-Calamba Railway, is a flagship mega-infrastructure project of DOTr that will directly connect Clark, Pampanga, Metro Manila, and Calamba, Laguna. The line will have 36 stations and four services.
It is also the biggest and most expensive railway project in the Philippines to date, with an estimated total cost of around P870 billion.
This new railway is expected to serve up to 800,000 passengers per day once fully operational and cut the travel time from Clark to Calamba from over four hours to roughly 90 minutes.
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