Skytrains, Cable Cars, and Other Philippine Transport Projects to Keep Watch On

(SPOT.ph) The current state of public transportation in the Philippines is light-years away from being perfect, but it looks like there are big plans to answer those big needs. The Department of Transportation spoke of massive undertakings that is set to benefit the commuting public—hopefully within our lifetime.

In an event on April 12, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista hinted at six new projects in the government’s pipeline: SkyTrain, MRT-10, MRT-11, LRT-6, Cebu Monorail Transit System, and the Metro Manila Urban Cable Car Project.

It is important to note that all of these projects are still in the early planning phase, so there’s no word on timelines yet. Most were put on pause when the pandemic struck. Having it in the pipeline is one thing, but project realization is another, but hey, a commuter can dream.

Also read: Reimagining a Metro Manila Where Commuters Can Actually Be Happy

DOTr: Public transport plans in the pipeline for the Philippines

SkyTrain

It’s been said that Bonifacio Global City isn’t commuter-friendly, while the opposite is the case for Makati City. Linking these two business hubs is the proposed SkyTrain, an automated people mover (APM) line that will take commuters from Guadalupe in Makati to Uptown Bonifacio in BGC in five minutes. It will follow the existing roads of J.P. Rizal Avenue, Lawton Avenue, 8th Avenue, and 38th Street.

The SkyTrain will look and function similar to a monorail but will be much smaller in scale, with the entire line barely reaching two kilometers. Still, it is expected to serve 60,000 to 100,000 daily passengers.

This has been in the talks since 2018, but Infracorp Development Inc. has yet to break ground for the project.

Also read: Soon You'll Be Able to Go to Makati From Uptown Bonifacio in Five Minutes

MRT-10 and MRT-11

MRT-10 will run for 22.5 kilometers and have 16 stations following C5. Most notably, it will have stops at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Aurora-Katipunan, and in Commonwealth Avenue. MRT trains will be stabled at the depot to be built on UP Diliman in Quezon City. This is currently under initial evaluation by the DOTr.

Meanwhile, the 18-kilometer MRT-11 will connect Monumento in Caloocan to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan. It will pass through some of the busiest roads in Metro Manila like Quirino Highway, Novaliches, and Zabarte Road.

On April 12, the DOTr received unsolicited proposals for these two commuter lines. However, Bautista was quoted by PhilStar as saying that the approval could take a year at the minimum. Both projects have a total value of around P194 billion.

LRT-6

Cavite's rapid population growth has finally warranted its own commuter line, especially since majority of its residents ride the bus to Manila for work.

LRT-6 is a 19-kilometer rail line with nine stations connecting Bacoor to Dasmariñas in Cavite. It’s expected to service 45% of the Cavite population once up and running.

Although LRT-6 will originate at Niyog where LRT-1 CAVEX is, the two lines will not share tracks and that a separate station will be built for LRT-6. It will also be connected to the LRT-1 Cavite extension. Half of these structures will be elevated, while the other half will be in embankment.

The list of nine stations are the following:

• Niog
• Bacoor City Hall
• San Nicolas
• Daang Hari
• San Pedro
• Alabang
• La Salle
• GMA
• Governor’s Drive

As of December 2020, the LRT-6 proposal has passed the qualifications set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. It is currently under review by the National Economic and Development Authority-Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC).

Cebu Monorail Transit System

The Cebu Monorail will be a fully-elevated monorail system comprising two lines: the 17.7-kilometer Central Line and the 9.3-kilometer Airport Line. The proposed monorail will have a capacity similar to an LRT, which can accommodate 12,000 to 15,000 passengers per hour.

The Central Line will have 14 stations, including ones in Talisay, Bulacao, Cebu South Bus Terminal, Kamputhaw, Mabolo, and Kasambagan. Meanwhile, the Airport Line will have six stations, one of which will be located near the Mactan-Cebu International Airport for ease of mass movement. Other station locations are to be announced.

This project has been subject for evaluation by the NEDA-ICC since 2020. DOTr expected the review to finish mid-February, but it was around this time that COVID-19 began creeping up on Philippine borders.

Manila Urban Car Cable Project

Senator Robin Padilla might have gotten memes in response to his suggestion to use cable cars to solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila back in 2022, but he wasn't the first to float the idea. Cable cars have been in the talks since 2018, under the Duterte admin.

The Manila Urban Car Cable Project is a 4.5-kilometer cable car system that will link Marikina City to Pasig City. This follows the French government-funded P27-million feasibility study for the project that started in 2018.

Each gondola lift will have a seating capacity of 10 people. There are six stations in the proposal:

• LRT-2 Santolan Station, Marikina City
• Libis, Quezon City
• Eastwood, Quezon City
• Santolan, Pasig City
• Manggahan, Pasig City
• Rosario, Pasig City

DOTr endorsed the Manila Urban Car Cable to the NEDA-ICC in 2021, which is still in line for evaluation and approval alongside other projects mentioned above.

Also read: Can Cable Cars Solve the Worsening Metro Manila Traffic?