In its latest progress report, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced that the Common Station on North Avenue is currently 48.48% complete, with construction now happening round the clock to meet the December 2021 target completion date.
The transport hub, also known as the Unified Grand Central Station, is located between Trinoma and SM City North EDSA. It will interconnect four rail lines: the LRT-1, the MRT-3, the MRT-7, and the Metro Manila Subway. The latter two are currently under construction, but once those lines and the Common Station are completed, the DOTr says “travel to Bulacan via Commonwealth, and from Valenzuela to NAIA will be faster and more convenient.”
The report also shows the facility’s Atrium or Area B as being 100% complete. Once fully operational, and with all four rail lines up and running, the Common Station will serve around 478,000 passengers daily.
Who among you guys will be able to make use of this transport hub on a daily basis once it’s completed? And do you have a wish list of passenger services and features you want it to offer? Personally, we want to see automated fare-collection systems that may be used interchangeably on all rail lines. The DOTr is currently testing a few—read up on them here.