The first section comprises the first stations in Valenzuela City and Quezon City, the line’s depot in Valenzuela City, and buildings for the Philippine Railway Institute (PRI), the country’s first railway training centre.
A ceremony to mark the start of the metro construction was held at the depot site in Barangay Ugong, where the East Valenzuela Station will be located.
The line, which is targeting partial opening by 2021, is expected to serve 370,000 daily passengers in its first year of full operations. The line will have 15 stations, including a terminal station at Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The Philippines Department of Transport has already issued offers for 364 of the 460 lots of land required for the line, with 285 of these accepted.
The 36km first phase of the north-south line will run from Quirino Highway in Quezon City to Taguig and Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, serving three of Manila’s business districts.
The project is being funded by an official development assistance loan from Japan.
