Philippine National Infrastructure and Urban Planning

[bustero]

BY KERLYN G. BAUTISTA, Reporter
Mindanao rail planned
Germany, Saudi Arabia to put money in Cagayan-Cotabato phase

Germany and Saudi Arabia are investing over P18.1 billion to partially finance the construction of an 82.5-kilometer mass transit system that will link the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, Gingoog, Marawi, and Cotabato in Mindanao by 2008.

This project, estimated to cost $520 million or over P28 billion, is expected to benefit 60,000 to 90,000 commuters daily in the Iligan-Cagayan de Oro "Industrial Corridor."

Transport Undersecretary Guiling A. Mamondiong told BusinessWorld yesterday that Germany would invest 220 million euros or P15.4 billion this year for the railway’s electronics and mechanicals.

Through German technology company Siemens, it will also provide 12 trains with travel speeds of 80-150 kilometers per hour. It will also put up ticketing, signaling, and communication systems.

Saudi Arabia will also lend $40 million and donate another $10 million, or a total of P2.705 billion, for the project.

The official said the government would also seek funding from Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Libya, Brunei, and Thailand, which would do the feasibility study on the railway. Civil works will start in 2006. Project completion is scheduled for 2008.

"This will be the first major railway system outside Metro Manila, something that is well in line with the decongestion of the metro. After these rail projects are finished, we think we can have 40% reduction in our oil import," he said.

The government is proposing to build the Mindanao Railway System, a six-phase, 2,000-kilometer circumferential railway system.

Its first phase will connect Iligan and Cotabato. Phase two will connect Gingoog, Butuan, and Surigao. Phase three will connect Butuan, Monkayo, and Davao. Phase four will connect Davao, General Santos and Cotabato. Phase five will connect Iligan, Aurora, Dipolog, Liloy, Ipil and Zamboanga, and phase six will connect Cagayan de Oro, Malaybalay, Damulog, and Davao.

[queetz@home]

WTF???? Is this for real?

[ryanr]

Siemens Trains...wow. Yeah, its for real...although that project has been delayed for decades now. Hopefully it will finally push through.

[SKYLINEPIGEON]

at last this will surely bring tremendous economic and social benefits to the people of mindanao and hopefully everybody muslims and christians alike will benefit from this infrastructure and contribute to peace and prosperty in this troubled region of our country

[richard fischer]

fantastic ! that would bring great prosperity to troubled mindanao ! but i cannot find any matches on the siemens homepage nor on german governments infrastructure/loans-to-the-phil. pages....hopefully this is not another illfated project like T 3 at NAIA with fraport. does anyone have some tips where i can find more about this project ?
salamat !

[Solblanc]

Originally Posted by richard fischer

fantastic ! that would bring great prosperity to troubled mindanao ! but i cannot find any matches on the siemens homepage nor on german governments infrastructure/loans-to-the-phil. pages....hopefully this is not another illfated project like T 3 at NAIA with fraport. does anyone have some tips where i can find more about this project ?
salamat !

as much as we'd all like to find information about many projects, the digging process is pretty difficult not every project has a website, and sometimes, if they did, it would be crap. After all, unlike skyscraper projects, infra projects don't feel the need to advertise anything other than Gloria's face After continuous digging, I'm sorry to say that your best source for info is most probably here

If you're not content with the info here, you're free to dig on your own. News articles contain the most information at times, but they can be dreadfully repetitive. The NEDA site also lists infra projects and what status of red-tape they're in. Other government sites may have a tidbit or two, as well

Anyways, back on topic, this is such a cool project, but I can't help but feel that these trains are probably way better that what northrail is gonna get

[ryanr]

Yeah, Siemens trains are definitely better than any Chinese DMU trains Northrail will get. If only Northrail also got Siemens rolling stock

[KulasKusgan]

i hope it will push through. studies on that mindanao-wide network were conducted during ramos administration pa ata.

[bagel]

It was a flagship project under Erap. I have route maps in my computer somewhere.

[naughtyins0mniac]

whoah, this is cool.. this will start mindanao's development.. or should i say improve mindanao's development??.. siemens? definitely cool!!.. wish luzon also have trains like this.

[simply_me]

if it will come to reality... mindanao will surely soar high....more investments... just hoping things about the project will turn out right...

[tyronne]

sana yung mga rebelde sa timog iwanan na ang pagrerebelde nila. instead, they should take advantage of any job opportunities this project would bring to the locals of mindanao.

[pau_p1]

well... I hope too.. that this project pushes through... connecting the Mindanao province will ease out movement of goods...

[amras]

it's probably the best moved yet... more developments, these are what mindanao really needs. let's pray that all things go well. and I also dont mind that they're getting the Siemens trains (and northrail only gets the chinese dmu's). they should have the best facilities if ever possible.

[richard fischer]

hi boybyhy,
can you put those routemaps of the railways in mindanao to our all convenience please ? could not find any....salamat po !

[richard fischer]

i also read that the panay railway system is to be rehabilitated with a new connex to the being-built new airport complex of iloilo. any news about that plan ?

[ewh1]

ooooh yea i remember one of the forumers posted the sign of the gov't Rehabilitating the line.. i believe Siemens are also the rolling stock being used

[Sou-jiro]

that great!...a railway system in Mindanao!awesome....

[richard fischer]

hi solblanc,
you are sooo right. i am very glad i found this site here ! let´s see how mindanao rail develops. hopefully not another fake completion date, posponed and posponed year by year through curruption and other mischiefs over and over again.

[SKYLINEPIGEON]

dont worry richard we are all praying the project will be completed for the good of the people of mindanao