Makati Mayor Abigail Binay on Wednesday led the unveiling of the scale model of the Makati Subway System and its ceremonial drilling that signals the start of preparatory work for the project.
Binay’s father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, city government officials and representatives of the city’s private sector partners for the project attended the event held at Makati City Hall.
Mayor Binay expressed her full commitment to the completion of the project by 2023, which she considered a “very valuable legacy” that would benefit the residents of Makati for generations to come.
“I believe the Makati Subway will be a very valuable legacy, and I am fully committed to its timely completion and operation,” Binay said. “It will make a lasting positive impact on the lives of our residents and contribute significantly to the city’s sustainable development and economic growth.”
Binay said the intra-city subway system was expected to create 6,000 new jobs during its construction and when it starts operations in about five years. With an efficient transport system in place, there would be more jobs and business opportunities.
The Makati Subway, the first of its kind in the country, will be a joint venture between Makati City and a consortium of local and foreign investors, with no cash out on the part of the city government. The 30-year concession with the consortium includes maintenance and repair of the coaches and the control hub.
Once completed, the subway system will be able to serve up to 27,000 passengers per hour per direction. The system also promises an interval of three to six minutes between trains on the first year, with 12 operational trains.
The subway system will have two tracks, up to 10 underground stations, and air-conditioned coaches that can accommodate 200 people per car. The entire system will span 10 kilometers with a train yard, maintenance depot and central command center at the ground level.
The stations will have at least 30 station entrances linked to destinations across Makati, which will spur the growth of small and medium businesses. It will also be linked to ferry transport, interchanges to the existing MRT 3 line, as well as potential links to the future Japan International Cooperation Agency-funded Metro Manila subway, and to future parking structures and transport feeders outside the existing business districts.
By 2024, Makati City is eying to have 18 trains with a two to four-minute interval. The city is also prepared to accommodate as many as 40,500 passengers per hour during peak hours. The train system will run on an 18-hour operational cycle.