4 pre-qualify for LRT1 extension

By: Myla Iglesias
Retrieved from Malaya Business Insight
Source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/business/business-news/15898-4-pre-qualify-for-lrt1-extension

Only four out of 33 consortium have pre-qualified to bid for the P60 billion project extending the existing light rail transit 1 extension to Cavite, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).



In a pre-bid conference yesterday, DOTC Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla said the qualified bidders were six at the start but two groups were disqualified for submitting bid documents beyond the 2 p.m. deadline.

Pre-qualified were DMCI Holdings Inc., Light Rail Manila Consortium of Metro Pacific Investment and Ayala; MTD-Samsung Consortium and; San Miguel Infrastructure Resources Inc.

Disqualified were Ecorail and Luzon Rail Transit System .
Lotilla said bidding for LRT-1 extension will be in January next year. At stake is the contract for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the existing LRT Line 1 system, the construction of Line 1 from Baclaran to Niog, Bacoor, Cavite worth P60 billion.
Of the total project cost, the construction of the tracks, the stations and all its attendant facilities, as well as O&M, will be worth about P30 billion. The other half which would involve the purchase of the coaches, will be funded through official development assistance.
The Cavite extension project will increase the span of Line 1 from 20.7 kilometers to 32.4 kilometers and will have a new south endpoint in Niog, Bacoor, Cavite.
The extension includes eight stations (with provision for two future stations), 10.5 kilometers of viaduct, support beams, and 3 intermodal facilities. Approximately 10.5 kms. of the Cavite extension system will be elevated and 1.2 kms will be at grade.

The government has set aside P30 billion to acquire up to 39 new light rail vehicles for this project.
The extension will open up the Line 1 services to the nearly 4 million residents of Parañaque, Las Piñas, and the Province of Cavite.
Once complete, the new line will increase ridership of LRT1 from 500,000 to 700,000 passengers per day. It will provide faster and more convenient alternative to residents of Cavite, Las Pinas and Paranaque.
However, DOTC also plans to conduct separate bidding for the LRT 1 extension from Bacoor to Dasmarinas Cavite in the third quarter next year.