The Transportation Department and Japan International Cooperation Agency agreed to undertake the P16.98-billion rehabilitation and expansion of Metro Rail Transit Line 3.
The two parties signed Friday the minutes of discussion for the appraisal mission over the Japan-financed MRT-3 Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project.
It contained the final details on project cost, scope of works and schedule of implementation.
Under the agreement, Jica will finance the rehabilitation and maintenance project of MRT-3, covering the system’s trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, CCTV system, PABX public address system, signaling system, rail tracks, road rail vehicles, depot equipment, elevators and escalators, and other station building equipment.
Discussions between Jica and the Transportation Department showed that the rehabilitation and maintenance of MRT 3 would take 43 months.
This would include 31 months for the simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works to restore MRT-3 to its original design condition and capacity and 12 months for the defect liability period.
The two parties also agreed to commit to best environmental management practices and social considerations through the procurement of a supervision consultant who would facilitate the implementation of an environmental management plan and an environmental monitoring plan.
The supervision consultant, to ensure the project’s sustainability, is required to draft and institutionalize new MRT-3 manuals that will update methodologies on appropriate asset management, project monitoring and supervision and operations and maintenance activities.
After completing the appraisal mission, the transport agency and Japan would move on to signing of the loan agreement and the mobilization of the new maintenance and rehabilitation provider for MRT-3 in June 2018.
MRT 3, which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, serves over 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.
The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars.