DAVAO CITY – National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-Davao Director Maria Lourdes Lim said the government targets to fully operationalize the 102-kilometer Tagum City-Davao City-Digos City (TDD segment) of the Mindanao Railway Project by the second quarter of 2022.
Lim said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is eyeing to complete the negotiation for road right-of-way and site acquisition for the entire TDD segment by the third quarter of this year but added that partial construction is targeted to commence by the second quarter.
“The DOTr, along with the concerned government units, is currently in the process of acquiring (road) right-of-way for the alignment as well as the terminals and stations of this project,” she said.
The TDD segment will have eight stations – Tagum; Carmen; Panabo; Mudiang in Bunawan, Davao City; Davao Terminal; Toril; Sta. Cruz; and Digos.
Once completed, she said the TDD segment will reduce travel time from 3.5 hours to 1.3 hours between Tagum and Digos cities and will provide “passengers safe, fast, and reliable transport options on the TDD commuter line.”
She added that it is expected to serve approximately 134,000 riders a day by 2022, up to 237,000 by 2032, and 375,000 by 2042.
The TDD segment is the first phase of the 1,550-kilometer MRP aims to connect key cities of Davao, Butuan, Surigao, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, and General Santos upon its completion.