Gov’t to bid out another LRT 1 extension deal

The Department of Transportation and Communications plans to bid out another Light Rail Transit 1 extension project in Cavite under the public private partnership framework next year.

Transportation secretary Joseph Abaya said in a recent interview that the feasibility study for the LRT Line 1 Extension to Dasmariñas Project was ongoing but the department was confident this would be finished within the current administration.

“I think we will be able to bid that out within the term, hopefully next year,” Abaya said.

There are no cost assumptions yet for the railway deal. However, information on the PPP Center’s website showed that the Dasmariñas extension will run 15 kilometers. It will start at the LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension Project terminal in Bacoor extending to Dasmariñas, Cavite.

The current P65-billion LRT 1 PPP Project extending the existing railway line to Bacoor was bagged this year by the consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp.

“Currently, Cavite is experiencing rapid growth, and many of its residents travel to Manila for work and education purposes. The project will improve passenger mobility and reduce the volume of vehicular traffic in the Cavite area by providing a higher capacity mass transit system,” the PPP Center said on its website.

The project aims to provide rapid and reliable access to and from the densely populated residential sub-urban communities south of Manila, and the various strategic commercial, industrial, and educational districts in Metro Manila.

Moreover, it would allow access to central Manila, offering a more efficient transport alternative than road-based services.

“It will enhance the competitiveness of both Metro Manila and the Cavite province, spurring economic development along the extension corridor,” according to the PPP Center.