DOTr reviews LRMC proposal to finish long-delayed Common Station

Maria Bernadette Romero·25 September 2025, 6:32 pm·1 min read

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DOTr reviews LRMC proposal to finish long-delayed Common Station — (May 16 2025) Situation at the common station at North Edsa in Quezon City on Friday May 16 2025, The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday announced the termination of agreement with the contractor tapped to build the common station for LRT1, MRT3, and MRT7 lines citing excessive delays. the DOTr said it has issued a notice of termination against BF Corporation and Foresight Development and Surveying Company (BFC-FDSC) Consortium, they said the move follows the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to speed up and complete the construction of the project, which has been ongoing since 2009, to ease and reduce travel time for commuters.
Photograph courtesy of Analy Labor

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is reviewing a proposal from Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the Pangilinan-led operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1, to complete the long-delayed Unified Grand Central Station, also known as the Common Station.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan confirmed on Thursday that the government has received the proposal, but said it still requires careful review since the public-private partnership (PPP) structure could require the private operator to recover its investment.

“We have received their proposal. We are currently reviewing it. Then, we will process it, and our target is by the end of the year to agree with them on how they could help us in finishing the common station,” Batan said.

“Since it's a PPP, there will be reasonable investment recovery. What form it takes is part of the discussions,” he added.

According to Batan, the financial arrangements for the project remain under discussion. He noted that the details are not yet finalized, making any cost estimate premature.

Batan added that the next step is to conclude talks with LRMC and submit the proposal to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development for approval, after which the department will determine the cost.

In March, the DOTr ended the deal with the Unified Grand Central Station consortium, composed of BF Corp. and Foresight Development and Surveying Co., due to prolonged project delays.

Located along North EDSA in Quezon City, the Common Station is essential for the future of Metro Manila’s transportation network.

The project, initially set for completion in 2020, faced pandemic-related setbacks and has been rescheduled multiple times, yet it remains unfinished.

Once completed, the station will allow seamless transfers between major rail lines and include an integrated intermodal transport system, accommodating buses, jeepneys, and taxis.