| Cebu Monorail Transit System | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | Udenna Corporation |
| Area served | Cebu Province |
| Locale | Metro Cebu |
| Transit type | Straddle-beammonorail Airport rail link |
| Number of lines | 2 |
| Number of stations | 20 |
| Headquarters | Mactan–Cebu International Airport |
| Operation | |
| Operator(s) | Philtram Transit Consortium |
| Character | Elevated |
| Rolling stock | AlstomInnovia Monorail 300 |
| Train length | 26–100 m (85–328 ft) |
| Technical | |
| System length | 27 km (17 mi) |
| No. of tracks | 2 monorail beams |
| Top speed | 80 km/h (50 mph) |
TheCebu Monorail Transit System, simply known as theCebu Monorail, was a proposedmonorailrapid transit system to be built inMetro Cebu,Philippines. Originally proposed by the Japanese in 2015 as theCebu MRT System, it was revised to alight rail line in the late 2010s, dubbed theCebu Light Rail Transit System orCebu LRT. It was then again revised to its present form in late 2019.
The system would consist of two lines, one in mainlandCebu named theCentral Line and another leading toMactan–Cebu International Airport, named theAirport Line. The system was originally set to begin construction in 2021 and to partially open before year-end. The entire system was due to begin operating by May or June 2022. As of February 2021[update], the project is still awaiting approval from relevant government bodies, but no progress has been made.
The island ofCebu was historically served by the 57 mi (92 km) Cebu Line of thePhilippine Railway Company between 1911 and 1942. AfterWorld War II destroyed the system, it was never repaired and was eventually dismantled. Since the 1970s, proposals to rebuild the Cebu Line were proposed but none of them came to fruition.[1]
The first contemporary proposal to rebuild a rail-based public transit system in Cebu was when theJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) createdThe Roadmap Study for Sustainable Urban Development in Metro Cebu and proposed it to theAquino administration in April 2015. JICA introduced a five-line concept as part of the study. The proposal included four MRT lines: North, South, Central, and Mactan lines, as well as anautomated guideway transit line named the AGT-CML Line. The first line to be constructed would have been the AGT-CML Line, with a target completion date of 2021, followed by the MRT Central Line between 2021 and 2030. The other MRT lines were planned to open by 2050.[2]
Proposals for such an MRT system were later abandoned, and the Cebu Light Rail Transit System (Cebu LRT) was introduced by theCebu City government in 2018. The line was planned to have the same characteristics asManila LRT Line 1, and was complemented by theCebu Bus Rapid Transit System and amonorail leading toLapu-Lapu City inMactan. The project initially had a targeted opening date of 2020 but it was postponed.[3] On May 26, 2019, plans for theMetropolitan Cebu Development and Coordinating Board to be legally reorganized into the Metro Cebu Development Authority were announced, so it could get better access to resources to fund projects such as the Cebu LRT. The system was then announced to be opened by 2022.[4]
However, the project was again revised to its present form on May 28, just two days after the announcement.Dennis Uy'sUdenna Corporation, aDavao City-based company, proposed a monorail instead of alight rail system in 2018. Udenna's infrastructure head, Michael Jamonir stated that a monorail would cost less to construct and operate than an LRT system.[5] As of 2019, the project costs ₱77.57 billion (US$1.53 billion).[6]
Earlier in 2017, the Philtram Transportation Consortium (Philtram) was established. The group comprises Udenna,SYSTRA Philippines,CRRC Nanjing Puzhen, andBombardier Transportation (laterAlstom), among others.[7] By 2020, Philtram announced its interest in building the Cebu Monorail.[8]Department of Transportation SecretaryArthur Tugade announced that both the Cebu BRT and the Cebu Monorail will be complete before the end of 2021.[9] As of October 2021, both the BRT and monorail projects have been delayed beyond the initial 2021 target for partial operability.[10]
The Cebu Monorail would be a fully-elevated monorail system comprising the Central Line and the Airport Line. It will be capable of handling up to 15,000 per direction per hour. The maximum speed in the system will be 80 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour).[8]
The Central Line would be 17.7 kilometers (11.0 miles) long and will have 14 stations. It will connect downtownCebu City withTalisay. There will also be a connection with the Airport Line somewhere in Cebu City.[9] So far, stations from these areas have been allotted: Talisay, Bulacao, Cebu South Bus Terminal, Kamputhaw, Mabolo and Kasambagan.[11]
The Airport Line will be 9.3 kilometers (5.8 miles) long and will have six stations connecting Cebu City withMactan.[9] Its depot will be located nearMactan–Cebu International Airport.[8] None of the stations have been named besides one located in the vicinity of the airport.
There will be an extension of the Central Line to Linao in Talisay City and toLiloan via Mandaue.[11]
The system will use theInnovia Monorail 300 series trainsets to be built by Alstom (initially Bombardier).[12] Licensed production will also be conducted byCRRC Nanjing Puzhen ofChina as part of theBelt and Road Initiative.[7]
According to one of Udenna's partners in the consortium, Jose Guardo's Maglevvision Philippines, the Innovia trainsets will initially use Bombardier's regular monorail technology on prefabricated precast post-tension concrete guide beams. It will be eventually replaced by Guardo's spin-inducedLenz's lawmagnetic levitation technology. These can also be arranged from 2- to 8-car trainsets from 26 to 100 meters (85 to 328 feet) long.[7]
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