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The Department of Transportation has signed up Ricardo Rail Australia Pty Ltd. as a shadow operator consultant for Metro Rail Transit 4 (MRT-4), which will serve eastern Metro Manila
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Under the 12-month contract, Ricardo Rail will identify, define, and develop internationally accepted best practices in operating and maintaining the 13.4-km MRT-4 line
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The 10-station elevated metro rail line will cover the length of Ortigas Avenue and Ortigas Avenue Extension
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It will run from EDSA Station near Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City to Taytay Station near the city’s public market and the junction of Taytay Diversion Road and Manila East Road
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Ricardo Rail Australia Pty Ltd. signed on March 30 a contract engaging the Brisbane-based company as shadow operator consultant of Metro Rail Transit 4 (MRT-4), which will serve the eastern side of Metro Manila.
The shadow operator consultant contract awarded to Ricardo Rail Australia on January 31, 2023 requires the company to prepare MRT-4 for handover to its operations and maintenance concessionaire, and ensure the designs of the engineering and architectural consultant are followed.
Ricardo Rail is the Australian unit of Ricardo PLC, a UK global consultancy providing technical expertise, assurance and specialist engineering services.
The 12-month contract assigns Ricardo Rail the task to identify, define, and develop internationally accepted best practices in railway engineering as well as operational and maintenance requirements.
The 13.4-kilometer MRT-4 is a 10-station, elevated metro rail service that will run the length of Ortigas Avenue and Ortigas Avenue Extension, starting at EDSA Station near Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City and ending at Taytay Station near the city’s public market and the intersection of Taytay Diversion Road and Manila East Road.
The project is funded by a US$1-billion loan from the Asian Development Bank.
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said MRT-4 will help ease traffic on the eastern side of Metro Manila, particularly along Ortigas Avenue, as the rail line will be able to carry thousands of passengers daily.
“Once operational, the more than 400,000 passengers expected to ride the MRT 4 will be more than grateful for solving the perennial traffic problem along the stretch of Ortigas Avenue,” Bautista said.
He added that the experience and expertise of the shadow operator consultant will help bring up MRT-4 operations to international standards.
“The key words in the arrangement are ‘internationally accepted best practices’ in railway engineering,” Bautista pointed out.
MRT-4 is part of the 194 infrastructure flagship projects tagged as priority by the current administration.
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