DOTC to procure 120 brand new trains for LRT-1

Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1. FILE PHOTO

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is procuring 120 brand new trains for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1).

In a statement on Friday, the DOTC said it is procuring new trains funded through a loan extended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

READ: Solons hit DOTC for deteriorating condition of metro trains

“With the upcoming 11.8-kilometer extension of LRT-1 comes the need to add more trains to the system. This will enable us to meet demand, and to maintain the right headway between arriving trains at the stations. This is part of the massive modernization and upgrading efforts that have started not only for LRT-1 but for all our railways,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said.

DOTC said the bid would be exclusive to Japanese-led companies or consortia.

“The winning bidder will cover the technical design of the coaches, procurement of materials required for manufacturing the LRVs (light rail vehicles), and ensure compliance with technical specifications through testing,” DOTC said.

The agency said the supplier would be required to submit a project management plan, design and development plan, as well as an inspection, testing and commissioning plan, for the smooth implementation of the project.

According to the DOTC, prospective bidders may begin purchasing bid documents on October 16 while a pre-bid conference is scheduled on October 30. It added that the submission and opening of bids is scheduled on December 14.

“The winning bidder will have three 3 years to complete the delivery of the new LRVs, which will be done in two tranches: the first delivery is set in 2017, and the second in 2018,” DOTC said.

Meanwhile, DOTC said that the Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC) would construct the Cavite Extension over the next 4 or 5 years, making the entire line operational by the fourth quarter of 2020.

LRMC has been operating and maintaining the existing LRT-1 line since these functions were handed over by the Light Rail Transit Authority last September. RAM

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