DOTr reveals MRT 4 will be a monorail project, targets full operations by 2028

The P58.9-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT 4) will be an elevated monorail project emitting less noise and requiring less space than traditional light rail lines operating in Metro Manila. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday kicked off the proposed 15.56-kilometer project with the signing of an engineering and architectural contract with Spain’s IDOM Consulting Engineering, Architecture SA, the firm behind the design of urban railways in Bogota, Dublin and Hanoi. The MRT 4 would be funded by the Asian Development Bank with a construction timeline set for 2024 up to 2027, DOTr undersecretary for railways Timothy John Batan said.

Batan said the MRT 4 plan never materialized after the Ramos administration initiated a feasibility study for the project in 1995.

“As with most railway projects in the past decades, this feasibility study, unfortunately, remained a study,” Batan said during the signing event on Friday. He said connectivity to Rizal, a province on Metro Manila’s east side, was important given its dense population of 3.3 million residents.

The MRT 4 would be a monorail system with stations in N. Domingo, Bonny Serrano, Greenhills, Edsa, Manila Electric Co., Tiendesitas, Rosario, St. Joseph, Cainta, San Juan, Tikling Junction, North Manila Road and Taytay, the DOTr said in a video presentation. Once fully operational, travel time from N. Domingo in Quezon City to Taytay, Rizal, would be cut to 27 minutes, according to the DOTr.

A monorail system, which consists of trains that run on a single rail, carries less passengers than larger light rail transit systems. They also require less space, making them easier to build in densely developed areas. In many cities, they act as feeder lines that support higher capacity modes of public transportation. Batan said the MRT 4 project design would begin in the fourth quarter of this year while right-of-way acquisition would start in the second quarter of 2022. He added the MRT 4 would be fully operational by 2028. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a separate statement the MRT 4 would serve nearly 4,500 passengers during peak hours and 2,678 passenger during off-peak hours. He added the project would provide 73,000 direct and indirect jobs during and after its construction.

“Not only will the MRT 4 create needed jobs, especially as we recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also expected to spur livelihood and economic opportunities and foster socioeconomic benefits,” Tugade said.

According to the DOTr, the MRT 4 would serve the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Quezon, Pasig and Rizal by helping address “the massive traffic problem and limited road capacities in the densely populated areas of eastern Metro Manila.” INQ