The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said over 80 local and foreign companies have participated in a consultation on the proposed P133.6-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 4.
The meeting focused on the project management consultancy role for the new fully-elevated railway mass-transit system, which will serve the eastern side of Metro Manila and the highly-populated areas of Rizal province.
Some of the participating companies include Aboitiz Construction Inc., Over Arp & Partners Hong Kong Ltd. (Philippines), India’s Balaji Railroad Systems Private Limited , Bouygues Travaux Publics of France, China Railway Design Corp., China Railway International Group, Colas Rail Philippines, India’s Consulting Engineers Group Ltd. , CRRC Dalian Co., Ltd. and Germany’s DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH.
Other participants are Japan’s Dia Nippon Engineering Consultants Co. Ltd,., South Korea’s DOHWA Engineering, Thailand’s Dorsch Consult Asia Co. Ltd., Eptisa Servicios de Ingenera, S.L. from Spain, Hastening from Netherlands, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., HSS Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. from Malaysia, among others.
The DOTr said the contract for systems consultants is expected to be awarded by the third quarter of 2026, while the procurement for the systems and rolling stock is scheduled for 2026 and will be conducted through open competitive bidding.
The DOTr said it has been actively working on acquiring the right-of-way for the MRT Line 4project since 2021. The agency reported receiving positive feedback from the affected property owners.
“Unlike the other railway projects, the MRT4 was very lucky that the majority of the right of way is along the existing corridor, so the major issues that we are looking at are those that will be affected by the station,” it said.
“We are seeing that we will be clearing the project right of way by the second quarter of 2027,” the DOTr said.
The government is seeking a $1-billion loan from the ADB to finance the planned mass transport system that will run from San Juan City to Taytay, Rizal.
The 15.56-kilometer MRT4 will have 11 stations, two other provisional stations in the future and a barrier-free design to allow inclusive access. It is expected to address the transport bottleneck along Ortigas Ave.
The ADB said the MRT4 project would provide reliable, rapid, affordable and safe public transport and would reduce traffic congestion and commute/travel times from Taytay to the Ortigas CBD from one to three hours by road to less than half an hour by rail.
It will also maintain the high-economic growth and inclusive urban development of eastern Manila, the Ortigas CBD, Pasig City and the neighboring Rizal province, the ADB said.
Once fully operational, the P59.3-billion MRT-4 system could run 80 kilometers per hour at maximum speed and a commercial speed of 25 kilometers to 40 kilometers an hour.
The railway will cut across the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Quezon, Pasig and the municipalities of Cainta and Taytay in Rizal, addressing the massive traffic problem and limited road capacities in the densely populated areas of eastern Metro Manila.
It is expected to serve 4,464 passengers at peak and 2,678 passengers an hour off-peak with an estimated travel time of 27 minutes from N. Domingo in San Juan City to Taytay, Rizal. The daily ridership is expected to reach 328,804 by 2030.
