The Department of Transportation (DOTr) officially signed the contract for the MRT-4 project last week. During the ceremony, the agency laid out more details regarding the new rail line.
According to the DOTr, the upcoming MRT-4 line will feature a monorail design, meaning the trains will run on a single rail. The agency says the design will provide flexibility and minimize footprint, as the base structure will occupy less space. The train will also be able to operate through sharp curves and relatively steep gradients.
Based on what the DOTr has mapped out, it appears the MRT-4 will not directly connect to the LRT-2 line. However, the layout shows that it will intersect with the MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway once the latter is up and running.
DOTr undersecretary Timothy John Batan also presented the indicative timeline, which begins with a detailed engineering design phase that will start from the first quarter of this year. Right-of-way acquisition will begin in Q2 of 2022, procurement in Q2 of 2023, and construction in 2024. The agency targets full operations of the train line by 2028.
Batan added that the DOTr will work on an implementation timeline that will cut down the construction period and allow partial operability at an earlier date. No further details were provided.
As mentioned in a previous story, the MRT-4 will have 11 stations. The DOTr added that there will be two provisional stations: Tiendesitas and San Juan. Looking forward to seeing this new train line rise in the metro?
