“The North Triangle Common Station is intended to link multiple Metro railway lines and was originally planned to be built at the junction of EDSA and North Avenue in Quezon City”
THE ground-breaking ceremony of the North Triangle Common Station in Metro Manila was held nearly eight years ago – on Sept. 29, 2017–which marked the start of construction.
Launched in 2011, the ball of fire project, aimed at integrating LRT-1, MRT-3 and MRT-7 to ease appalling traffic in the metropolis and reduce travel time, was expected to serve around 500,000 passengers daily upon completion.
It was initially scheduled to open in Jan. 2021, but, delayed several times for whatever reasons unclear, it was still under construction as of last month, three months into the day voters will march to their respective polling precincts to mark their ballots for their choice of public servants.
Often, delays of rail projects can be caused by inclement weather, track issues, signal failures, infrastructure problems, accidents, passenger issues, among others.
The North Triangle Common Station, also called Unified Grand Central Station, is intended to link multiple Metro railway lines and was originally planned to be built at the junction of EDSA and North Avenue in Quezon City.
The project was meant to provide an integrated system where passengers can easily access buses, jeepneys and taxis.
We see Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan facing enormous challenges ahead, with his appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last Feb. 26, to that position he was first named to during the time of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.
Batan appears to have been retained at the DOTR for what some observers call his institutional memory of the DOTR’s projects during Tugade’s time.
But some have asked why he had to be brought back to the helm of that transport sector where many of the projects during his time remain unfinished like the Common Station.
Others also ask why some of the new DOTr officials, who also served during Tugade’s time, were also reappointed.
He will have to prove to the appointing authority and his senior in the department, Secretary Vince Dizon – who asked for the courtesy resignations of high-ranking officials in the previous administration after he was given the marching orders by President Marcos – and half a million Metro Manila commuters watching construction progress who have their Common Station clock ticking against the deadline – that he is equal to the task.
In 2020, there were over 2 million commuters in the metropolis, which has a population at daytime of nearly 13 million people, and, as years roll, the number of commuters increases.
We tried to get what’s on Batan’s plate, but thus far have not been able to read from his pad what might have caused the delays and how exactly he would address these.
We are of course aware the COVID-19 pandemic affected construction logistics and manpower; right-of-way issues, like immediate acquisition of land for the station which had obviously delayed construction; utilities relocation; system upgrades; possible delays in payment to the contractor impacted the project timeline which pushed back the opening date several times.
Which brings us to what engineers and railway experts have suggested that there were flawed structure design and track system which are, by their submission, irreconcilable with existing structures.
Another unsettling thought is why, in the view of some experts, an inexperienced contractor was awarded the project.
The North Triangle Common Station, estimated to cost P2.8 billion in 2017, is a 13,700 square meter facility that connects the Light Rail Transit Line (LRT-1), Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), and Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7).
The project is divided into three areas: A, B, and C. Area A, with an estimated cost of P2.78 billion, covers platforms for LRT-1 and MRT-3, managed by the DOTr. Area B, connecting Areas A and C, is handled by North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp., affiliated with Ayala Land. Area C, covering the MRT-7 platform, is being built by San Miguel Corp.