Common station deal OKd

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and big conglomerates have finally agreed on the location of a railway connecting station in Quezon City, resolving a multiyear quarrel that erupted under the Aquino administration.

The DOTr announced the resolution Tuesday, saying that an agreement signing was set for today, Sept. 28.

That agreement paves the way for the construction of a so-called common station that would serve as a link between the busy Metro Rail Transit Line 3, Light Rail Transit Line 1 and, eventually, the MRT-7 line to Bulacan province, which has yet to be built.

The MRT-3 and LRT-1, crucial mass transit platforms serving key points across Metro Manila, are now serving about one million passengers a day.

The DOTr said the new deal cleared a path for the filing of a joint motion asking the Supreme Court to lift a temporary restraining order on the station’s location. That petition was earlier filed by the SM Group, which scored the department under President Aquino for breach of contract.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade had targeted to resolve this issue within the first 100 days of the Duterte administration.

According to the department, the common station would be built “in between” SM City North Edsa and Ayala Land Inc.’s Trinoma shopping mall. That means commuters will have access to both malls. Also, the station would have an atrium where commuters can “conveniently transfer” from one line to the next.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said an underpass would be built to “seamlessly integrate with the common station.”

The row stemmed from a 2014 decision of the transportation department, then headed by secretary Joseph Abaya, to move the station’s location from the SM City North Edsa Annex to an area near Trinoma.

The station was originally meant to be located near SM’s property, based on an agreement SM Prime had with the Light Rail Transit Authority in 2009, or during the term of President Arroyo. When this was not followed, SM Prime sued the department in 2014 for breach of contract.

The issue also grew complex because of the number of companies involved.

Also affected by the issue were Light Rail Manila Corp., a venture between Ayala Corp. and Manuel V. Pangilinan’s group that operates LRT-1, as well as San Miguel Corp., which is building the MRT-7.

According to the DOTr, parties signing the agreement today include LRTA, SM Prime Holdings, Universal LRT Corp. (SMC), Light Rail Manila, Ayala Land Inc. and the DPWH. The common station project started in 2009 but it has since been placed on hold due to legal issues.