MRT-3 reflects the growing need for services that remain accessible beyond regular hours.
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The government's search for a new private operator for Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) is stretching into 2027, extending efforts to bring private-sector participation back to one of Metro Manila's busiest railway systems.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is targeting the second quarter of next year for the MRT-3 operations and maintenance (O&M) bidding, alongside a separate procurement process for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
The MRT-3, previously run by the Sobrepeña-led Metro Rail Transit Corp., reverted to government control following the expiration of its build-lease-transfer agreement.
For MRT-3, Lopez said the target is around the second quarter of 2027, although the final schedule rests with the Bids and Awards Committee.
“It will be the same by the second quarter,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Infrastructure Forum hosted by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines on Monday.
For the NSCR, Lopez said the government is eyeing the first quarter of 2027 to complete the bidding, although the timetable could slip to the second quarter depending on procurement requirements and necessary approvals.
“Based on the timeline, first quarter next year,” Lopez said, referring to the NSCR.
Lopez cautioned that neither timeline is guaranteed, as questions from prospective bidders and additional procurement requirements could further delay the process.
“Sometimes, even if you put a timeline, if there's like a meritorious reason not to push through with the date of opening of bid, because there are like bid questions, we need supplemental bid, the timeline adjusts,” he said.
Foreign-funded railway projects also face stricter procurement rules, including the need to secure a Letter of No Objection from the Asian Development Bank.
“It's quite complicated, not the usual bidding that we know under the procurement law,” Lopez said.
Meanwhile, the NSCR appears to be attracting interest from prospective operators, with Lopez estimating that around seven parties may have participated in the initial procurement activities.
The government is also treating MRT-3 and Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) as separate projects for now, rather than bundling their operations under a single private operator.
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