SM now open to 2 rail stations

MANILA, Philippines - SM Prime Holdings Inc. is open to the Department of Transportation and Communications’ proposal for two common stations which would link Metro Manila’s three major railways.

“What I can tell you right now, we are still open to what they (DOTC) want. But we want something more fixed,” SM Prime president Hans Sy said in a chance interview.

He said what the DOTC has presented to the firm so far is just a concept.

The DOTC is pushing for two common stations to link three major railway lines, the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and the planned MRT-7.

In particular, one of the common stations would be located near the Ayala Group’s Trinoma Mall in Quezon City to connect LRT-1 and MRT-3, and the other near SM North EDSAMall to link MRT-7 and MRT-3, with the option to loop in LRT-1.

LRT-1 spans Roosevelt station in Quezon City up to Baclaran station in Pasay City, while MRT-3 covers North Avenue station in Quezon City until Taft Avenue station in Pasay City.

The DOTC is engaging all concerned parties including SM to get a compromise agreement on the proposal.

SM has obtained a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court to prevent DOTC from transferring the LRT-MRT common train station near the Trinoma Mall instead of SM North EDSA Mall.

SM sought for a stay order citing an agreement it entered into with the LRT Authority in 2009 to put up the common train station near its SM North EDSA Mall.

DOTC Undersecretary Perpetuo Lotilla said earlier SM as well as other parties such as Light Rail Manila Corp. which handles the operations and maintenance of LRT-1 and Universal LRT Corp., the company behind the MRT-7, have agreed in principle on the two common stations proposal.

Sy said, however, it cannot give an approval on the concept presented by the DOTC.

“We felt concept is not enough. We would appreciate if it was the complete set of plans,” he said.