Common rail station deal signing set today

MANILA, Philippines – The proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) common station will be constructed between SM North and Trinoma malls.

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Transportation said the agreement between all stakeholders would be signed today.

According to the Transportation department, the common station — which will connect the MRT 7, MRT Line 3 and LRT Line 1 — would provide a common concourse or atrium wherein train commuters can conveniently transfer from one line to another.

Resolving the common station row is among the deliverables of the DOTr within the first 100 days of the Duterte administration.

To achieve a consensus, the department had to engage all stakeholders in meetings.

The LRTA and SM entered into an agreement to put up a common station for the railways near the SM North EDSA mall in 2009.

In 2014, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said it wanted to transfer the common station near Trinoma citing savings in construction costs as well as convenience to passengers.

The plan to have a common station has been on hold after SM sought and obtained a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court (SC) to prevent the DOTC from transferring the common station near the Ayala Group’s Trinoma mall from SM North EDSA mall.

The Transportation department said the signing of the agreement would pave the way for the filing of a joint motion to the Supreme Court to lift the temporary restraining order.