TOP local and international private companies have expressed interest in the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) Capacity Expansion, Operations, and Maintenance (CEOM) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Project, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that the strong interest shown by 74 companies from 14 countries signaled robust investor confidence in the government’s flagship rail modernization initiative, following recent joint market-sounding activity conducted by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
According to Lopez, investors' interest reflects a growing private-sector confidence in the project and its potential impact on daily commuters.
"With the help of the private sector, we can carry out the expansion of MRT-3. We are doing this for a hassle-free journey for commuters, and we are pleased that many companies are interested in the project,” Lopez said.
DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the turnout of the market sounding activity demonstrates the project’s viability, pointing to sustained passenger demand along the rail line.
Batan said the MRT-3 system has historically accommodated from 620,000 to 630,000 passengers daily, making it one of the country’s most heavily used rail corridors.
“This MRT-3 PPP is a very viable and promising project. This is an existing line, and historically, its ridership could serve 630,000 people daily. That level of demand is why several companies attended the market sounding,” Batan said, adding that the participation of firms from multiple countries signals strong international confidence in the government’s infrastructure pipeline.
Under the MRT-3 CEOM PPP Project, the winning private proponent will take over operations and maintenance of the existing rail line, ensure uninterrupted service, manage the MRT-3 Common Station area, and implement improvements, including the integration of Dalian trains into commercial service, procurement of additional rolling stock, and upgrades to signaling, depot, power and communications systems.
The MRT-3 is expected to benefit from expanded capacity and improved reliability under the proposed PPP arrangement, which is part of the government’s broader transport modernization program.
