SMC, Metro Pacific keen on LRT-6 project

San Miguel Corp. and Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. have formally signaled their interest in the P65.1-billion Light Rail Transit Line 6 project.

Both conglomerates acquired bid documents for the project, which involves the construction of a 19-kilometer railway from Niyog, Bacoor to Dasmariñas City in Cavite province, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Center said yesterday.

This development comes days before the Feb. 15 prequalification conference to be held by PPP Center for this PPP project, the fourth to be rolled out by the Aquino administration.

The Department of Transportation and Communications said the submission of qualification documents was tentatively set for March 4 this year.

“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. The DOTC estimated that about 200,000 Cavite residents will use the LRT-6 once completed.

Malaysia’s MTD Group also expressed interest in the project earlier, although it has yet to buy bid documents.

The proposed right of way alignment is along the Aguinaldo Highway with seven stations, namely:  Niyog, Tirona, Imus, Daang Hari; Salitran, Congressional Avenue, and Governor’s Drive.

The private sector will handle the design and construction of the 19-km train line from Bacoor to Dasmariñas, as well as the procurement, testing and commissioning of train coaches, equipment and support infrastructure, the DOTC said.  The concession period runs for 30 years, including the five-year construction period.

LRT-6 is among the projects in the PPP pipeline that were exempted from the election ban that runs from March 25 through May 8 this year. The timing of the project, nevertheless, suggests it will be awarded beyond the term of President Aquino, who will step down by June this year.

There are still about 40 projects in the PPP Pipeline valued at about P800 billion, data from the PPP Center showed.