The project preparation services report for the feasibility study of the 54.8-kilometer Mindanao Railway Project – Phase 3 (MRP 3), conducted by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, is expected to be submitted in July 2024. This was disclosed by Congressman Rufus Rodriguez following his recent meeting with Department of Transportation (DOTR) Assistant Secretary for Planning and Project Development Leo de Velez and DOTR Senior Communications Development Officer EnP Iris Lamboon.
The MRP involves the financing, design, construction, and operations and maintenance (O&M) of an approximately 54.8 kilometer high-capacity, initially inter-city passenger railway system that will span across the highly urbanized city of Cagayan de Oro, connecting the Municipalities of Laguindingan and Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
Below is the pre-FS alignment showing three viable options of the proposed railway alignment (consolidated rail segments taken from online presentation). As proposed, the railway will start near the vicinity of Laguindingan Airport and will pass through the town of Alubijid, then El Salvador City, Opol, Cagayan de Oro City (avoiding the city center), Tagoloan and finally at Villanueva town. Along the way, various railway stations and related facilities will be established. Things which need to be considered and discussed include minimizing extent of land acquisition, steering clear of environmentally sensitive areas, connectivity to bus terminals, seaports, upcoming developments, and many others. A much clearer map should be available once the final report is submitted. Expect significant changes of the rail alignment once a full-blown FS will be conducted.
Based on the Project Description, the railway project will include passenger railway stations, maintenance depots, operations control centers, connectivity to Languindingan Airport, connectivity to seaports, and transit-oriented developments (TOD). The railway will be designed to be capable of handling freight cargo with cargo terminals in the future.
The Project is envisioned to link the industrial and commercial centers of Metro CDO as well as major strategic infrastructure such as the Laguindingan International Airport, the Port of Cagayan de Oro City, public ports under the CDO Base Port, the Mindanao Container Port (MCP), and private ports and industrial estates under the Philippine Veterans Investment Development Corporation (PHIVIDEC).
It is also expected to be seamlessly inter-operable with the other phases of the MRP as well as with other transport networks (i.e., Iligan-Cagayan de Oro-Butuan Highway).
Expected benefits of the project include:
- Reduced travel time;
- Improved public transport accessibility;
- Improved connectivity between economic and growth centers in Northern Mindanao;
- Reduced road congestion;
- Safer travel for commuters, pedestrians, and cyclists, and increased road safety;
- Reduced greenhouse gases and promote climate resilience in the transportation sector;
- Increased land value of nearby areas;
- Easier access to government services; and
- Increased climate and disaster resilience.
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