DOTC stands firm on decision to locate LRT-MRT common station at Trinoma

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is standing by its decision to put up the P1.4 billion Metro Rail Transit – Light Rail Transit (MRT-LRT) common station in front of the Trinoma Mall instead of SM City North EDSA.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the agency is sticking to its earlier decision to locate the proposed train station in Trinoma Mall owned by property giant Ayala Land Inc. instead of SM City North EDSA of retail and banking magnate Henry Sy.

“It is clear in the contract and our view is still the same that it should be in Trinoma,” he said in Filipino.

However, Abaya clarified that the DOTC is still looking for a “win-win” solution that would appease SM Prime Holdings Inc. The Sy company managed to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court to stop the government from transferring the location of the proposed train station.

He explained that the agency is looking at the possibility of putting up a “mini station” in front of SM City North EDSA to house both the LRT-1 and the proposed P63 billion MRT-7 of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. while the common station in front of Trinoma would house both LRT-1 and MRT-3.

“One of the possible win-win solution is to put up a small station in front of SM City North EDSA. That should be welcomed by our people because it adds another station,” he added.

The design of the common station was bundled in the bidding of the P65 billion LRT-1 Cavite extension project wherein Light Rail Manila Consortium was the lone bidder.

The consortium – composed of infrastructure giant MPIC Light Rail Corp. of infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (55 percent), AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. of conglomerate Ayala Corp. (35 percent), and Macquaire Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte Ltd. (10 percent) – offered to pay the government P9.35 billion to undertake the project extending the span of the existing LRT11 to 32.4 kilometers from 20.7 kilometers all the way to Niog in Bacoor, Cavite from the current end station in Baclaran in Pasay City.

Putting up another trains station in front of SM City North EDSA, he said, does not require an amendment of the concession agreement to the awarded to the Light Rail Manila Consortium.

“It doesn’t require an amendment to the concession agreement. There is a provision to add stations,” he said.

However, the DOTC has yet to award the largest public private partnership (PPP) project under the Aquino administration due to the TRO issued by the Supreme Court preventing the DOTC and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) from transferring the location of the common train station.