Metro Manila Subway

The Metro Manila Subway,[7] formerly known as the Mega Manila Subway (MMS),[1] is an under-construction underground rapid transit line in Metro Manila, Philippines. The 36-kilometer (22 mi) line, which will run north–south between Quezon City, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, and Pasay, consists of 15 stations between the Quirino Highway and FTI stations. It will become the country's second direct airport rail link after the North–South Commuter Railway, with a branch line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

"Manila Subway" redirects here. For the subway line in Makati, Metro Manila, see Makati Intra-city Subway.

Metro Manila Subway
Overview
Other name(s)Metro Manila Subway (MMS)
Mega Manila Subway
StatusUnder construction
Line number9[1]
LocaleMetro Manila (phase 1)
Bulacan and Cavite (phases 2 and 3)
TerminiQuirino Highway (north)
NAIA Terminal 3 or FTI (south)
Stations15 (phase 1)[2]
Service
TypeRapid transit
Operator(s)Department of Transportation
Depot(s)Brgy. Ugong, Valenzuela
Daily ridership370,000 (projected)[3]
History
Planned opening2022 (partial), 2026 (full)[4]
Technical
Line length36 km (22 mi) (Valenzuela–Bicutan)[2]
57.7 km (35.9 mi) (San Juan del Monte–Dasmariñas)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge[5]
Electrification1,500 V DC OHLE[6]
Operating speed80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map
Valenzuela depot
East Valenzuela
Valenzuela
Quezon City
 Quirino Highway
 Tandang Sora
Baclaran - Niog
()
North Avenue
Grand Central
3 (7)
Quezon Avenue
Lerma - University Avenue
(8)
Taft Avenue
3
 East Avenue
 Anonas
Recto - Santolan - Masinag
Katipunan
Quezon City
Pasig
 Ortigas
(4)
 Shaw
Pasig River
Pasig
Makati
 Kalayaan
(5)
Makati
Taguig
 Bonifacio Global City
Lawton
Valenzuela-Gov. Pascual / Tutuban
Nichols
 Senate
FTI
Taguig
Parañaque
 Bicutan
Alabang / Calamba
Taguig
Pasay
 NAIA Terminal 3
NAIA Terminal 1 and 2
Pasay
Parañaque
Asia World
()

Dubbed as the "Project of the Century" in the country, the subway line's groundbreaking took place on February 27, 2019,[8][9] and construction began the following December. It is expected to be partially opened in 2022 and fully operational by 2026.[4] Expected to cost ₱227 billion (equivalent to US$4.5 billion in 2017 dollars), the line is the most expensive transportation project undertaken by the Duterte administration.[10][11] Much of its cost is covered by a loan provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); the first part of a ¥104.5-billion loan was signed in March 2018.[12]

The Metro Manila Subway is designed to connect with other urban rail transit services in the region. Riders may transfer to LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, and MRT Line 7 at the North Avenue Common station, which is also currently under construction. Other connections include the existing LRT Line 2 and PNR Metro Commuter Line, as well as the planned Makati Intra-city Subway, the MRT Line 4, and MRT Line 8.

History

Background

A fully underground rapid rail system in Metro Manila, initially named Mega Manila Subway, was initially proposed in year 2000 by an Italian group backed by Tokyo Mitsubishi bank. This first alignment run mostly North to South along EDSA across Quezon, Ortigas, Bonifacio and finally to the airport. The proposal was approved but President Estrada was removed and the proposal vanished. Again the project was proposed in the 2014 Metro Manila Dream Plan as a 57.7-kilometer line that would serve as the second north–south mass transit backbone for the newly expanded Greater Capital Region (the first being the North-South Commuter Railway). The Metro Manila Dream Plan (Mega Manila Dream Plan or Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and Its Surrounding Areas) is an integrated plan, created on the basis of recommendations from a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)[13] and was approved the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board in June 2014, lasting until 2030. The program aims to improve the transport system in Metro Manila, Philippines, with the hope of turning it into a focal point for addressing Metro Manila's interlinked problems in the areas of transportation, land use, and environment.[14][15]

However, the idea had been forwarded as early as 1973, when the JICA (at the time known as the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency or OTCA) and former Secretary of Public Works and Highways David Consunji conducted a study on what shall later be Metro Manila (formally constituted on November 7, 1975). It was also proposed to be part of the 1977 MMetroplan, which even received approval from the World Bank. However, the plan was not included and implemented, for some of the areas included in the plan, such as Marikina and Cainta, are prone to flooding.[16][17][18] Instead, what was built was the Manila Light Rail Transit System Line 1, opened on December 1, 1984 and completed on May 12, 1985.[19] Nevertheless, the current Manila Light Rail Transit System (mostly elevated) is shorter than the line system forwarded in 1973.[18]

The 1973 plan provided for the construction of five lines. The first line (Line 1) would have extended 27.1 kilometers from Constitution Hills (now Batasan Hills), Quezon City to Talon, Las Piñas; the second line (Line 2) for 36 kilometers from Novaliches, Quezon City to Cainta, Rizal, Line 3 for 24.3 kilometers throughout Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. The fourth line (Line 4) would have extended 30.1 kilometers from Marikina to Zapote, Bacoor, and the fifth line 17.6 kilometers from Rizal Avenue, Manila to Meycauayan, Bulacan. If this plan had been carried out, it would have been completed by 1988.[18]

Development

A loan agreement was signed between President Rodrigo Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in November 2017.[20] On March 16, 2018, Japan signed the first part of a 104.5-billion-yen (approx. US$957 million) loan for the subway.[12] In November 2018, OC Global, a Japanese consortium consisting of Oriental Consultants Global Co. Ltd., Tokyo Metro Co. Ltd., Katahira & Engineers International, Pacific Consultants Co Ltd., Tonichi Engineering Consultants, Inc., and Metro Development Co. Ltd., was awarded the PHP 11 billion contract to build the line.[21][22]

It is planned to begin partial operations by 2022,[12] with three stations: the Qurino Highway, the Tandang Sora, and the North Avenue stations, are expected to begin operations within the said year.[23] In June 2018, soil testing was conducted along the alignment. Massive TBMs will be employed for the project. In line with this, DOTR, PNR and JICA personnel inspected actual tunnel boring machines in Japan, estimated to arrive in May 2019.[24][25]

On February 25, 2019, a Japanese-Filipino consortium, consisting of Shimizu Corp., Fujita Corp., Takenaka Civil Engineering Co. Ltd. and EEI won the design-and-build contract for the first three stations, or its partial operability section.[2]

10 months after the project's groundbreaking, construction begun its clearing phase in Valenzuela on December 21, 2019.[26][27] As part of the Partial Operability Section, the first three stations will be built alongside the Philippine Railway Institute (PRI), the country's first-ever railway training center.[26]

In September 2020, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) presented one of the 6 Tunnel Boring Machines in an acceptance test ceremony through a video conference. The machines are expected to arrive in country by January 2021 with the help of JICA, with the actual tunnel digging stage is expected to commence afterwards in the same month.[28][29]

In December 2020, the Sumitomo Corporation and the Japan Transport Engineering Company received the order for to supply 240 train cars (eight cars × 30 trainsets) for Phase 1 (between Quezon City in the north and Parañaque in the south) of the Metro Manila Subway Project from the DOTr.[30][31] The contract was signed on December 15, 2020, with the cost being approximately ¥57.5 billion. The train sets are scheduled to be fully delivered by March 2027.[30][32]

Design

The line will be the third high-capacity, heavy rail line in the country, after the Line 2, and Line 7, and the first to be mostly underground. It is designed to run trains at 80 kilometers per hour. The tunnel diameter inside and outside is projected to be 5.2 meters and 5.65 meters, respectively.[33] Since there are estimates of an expected magnitude-7.2 earthquake (which can be as powerful as magnitude 7.6) in the Marikina Valley Fault System,[34] it is designed to withstand a magnitude-8.0 earthquake. In addition, it may not be entirely underground. Assessment of the environmental and geographical considerations in the base alignment (initially 74.6 kilometers long) recommends 18% of the line to be at-grade and 9% to be running through viaduct.[33] Prior to final approval, some adjustments to the alignment were done so that it would reduce the risk of damage during earthquakes by traveling along solid adobe ground.

The stations has been imagined to have design features such as water-stop panels, a high-level entrance for flood prevention, earthquake detection, and a train stop system.[35] The stations are also designed to accommodate up to 1.5 million passengers daily.

The major stations of the line are planned to have 2 platform levels, one for a local train service and another for express routes. These stations are planned to have 6 floors designed for 2 platform floors, commercial shops, ticketing facilities and other amenities.[36]

Seven of the proposed stations, namely NAIA Terminal 3, Bicutan, Senate, Lawton, Katipunan, Quezon Avenue and North Avenue stations will be built on government property in order to boost property values on the surrounding area.[37]

Rolling stock

While the line itself is not yet in operation, the requirements for the rolling stock in accordance to the projected design are already available. Average train speed is expected to be at 80 kilometers per hour (Line 1 trains run at the average speed of 40 kilometers per hour).[38] Trains will consist of six cars, with a capacity of 412 passengers per car, each car projected to cost US$2.5 million (124.5 million pesos as of 2017).[33]

In February 2019, DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan announced the Department's plan to initially procure 19 trainsets with an 8-car configuration, but added that more traincars maybe optionally procured to fit the 10-car capacity of the stations.[39]

In July 2020, the Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-Trec) and the Sumitomo Corporation submitted a bid proposal for the acquisition of new train sets for the project. The proposal consists of 240 vehicles, or 30 trains sets in an 8 car configuration.[40] Like the trainsets for the North–South Commuter Railway, the Metro Manila Subway trainsets will use 1,500 V DC rail electrification through overhead lines.[6] The PHP367 billion deal for the procurement of the 30 8-car trainsets were finalized on December 21, 2020, with each train having a maximum capacity of 2,242 passengers.[41]

Proposed network

The project involves the construction of 18 stations in its first phase (listed from north to south):[33][42]

StationDistrict/BarangayTransfersLocation
East Valenzuela Ugong none Valenzuela
Quirino HighwayNovalichesQuezon City
Tandang Sora Tandang Sora
North Avenue Grand Central StationDiliman LRT Line 1
3 MRT Line 3
7 MRT Line 7
Quezon Avenue3 MRT Line 3
East Avenuenone
AnonasProject 3 LRT Line 2
Camp AguinaldoCamp Aguinaldonone
OrtigasSan Antonio4 MRT Line 4 via MeralcoPasig
Shawnone
KalayaanWest Rembo5 Makati Intra-city Subway via University of Makati Makati
BGCFort BonifaciononeTaguig
Lawton
Senate-DepEd
FTIWestern Bicutan Metro Commuter Line
 NSCR  North–South Commuter Railway
Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange
BicutanSan Martin De Porres Metro Commuter Line
 NSCR  North–South Commuter Railway		Parañaque
NAIA Terminal 3NAIA Terminal 3Pasay
NAIA Terminal 1 and 2NAIA Terminal 1 and 2Parañaque / Pasay
Asia World stationTamboAsia World, PITXParañaque
Stations and train systems in italics are either under construction or proposed.

The first phase was initially planned to be 21.6 kilometers long.[33] However, it is estimated to be actually 25 kilometers long.[20] The following phases of the subway project would involve extending lines up to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, north of Metro Manila (15.4 kilometers from the proposed Mindanao Avenue station), and down to Dasmariñas, Cavite, south of Metro Manila (20.7 kilometers from the proposed Ninoy Aquino International Airport station). The entire system, when completed, will serve up to 1.74 million passengers daily.[33]

The initial plan was later modified, with DOTr adding the East Valenzuela, Lawton, and Senate stations.[43] The East Valenzuela station will be located in the subway's depot, while the Lawton and Senate station replaced the Cayetano Boulevard station. However, these modifications are subject to the approval of NEDA and JICA.[43]

JICA also proposes a physical connection and interoperability between the North-South Commuter Railway Project and MMS. It proposes MMS rolling stock to switch over to the at-grade NSCR-South tracks around the FTI area, via a physical connection of the tracks and electrical supply, and operate through services to NSCR-South stations from Bicutan towards Calamba and vice versa.[44]

The spur line towards NAIA Terminal 3 is also being considered to be expanded to cover all the other terminals of the airport, eventually meeting with the LRT-1 at the planned Asia World station of the LRT-1 extension to serve the PITX.

References
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