Philtrak consortium to spend up to P30 B for Panay rail line

The Philtrak consortium plans to spend as much as P30 billion to build a new, modern public transport system using the electric road train (ERT) technology developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) at the old, decommissioned Panay Railways Inc. (PRI) train line.

Francis Yuseco, chairman and chief executive officer of Philtrak, said they have already submitted an unsolicited proposal to the PRI to build the ERT line at the Panay island rail line in a 25-year concession, extendable for another 25 years, under the build, operate and transfer (BOT) scheme.

Under the proposal, the consortium will lay out a 3.7 meter-wide asphalt trackway along a 117 kilometer stretch of the PRI from Iloilo City in Iloilo province to Roxas City, Capiz in the proposed Phase 1, with a potential Phase 2 where the line could be extended into Caticlan in Aklan province.

The consortium plans to deploy an initial fleet of 40 passenger 17.8 meters long, fully-airconditioned ERT units at the line.

They also propose to deploy an initial 20 17.8 meters long refrigerated and non-refrigerated units that will take in agricultural and marine, and other cargo being transported within Panay Island.

The ERT units can run at a maximum 120 kilometer speed, and an average speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

The proposal includes the bulding of world class malls in the proposed stations of the ERT line.