Napirmahan na ng Department of Transportation (DOTr) ang Tagum-Davao-Digos segment contract ng Mindanao Railway project kasama ang Project Management Consultant na China Railway Design Corporation (CRDC), araw ng Miyerkules (October 20).
Magkokonekta ang 1,544-kilometer railway system sa Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, at Malaybalay.
May habang 100 kilometro ng railway line ang unang phase ng MRP, Tagum-Davao-Digos (MRP-TDD) segment.
Magkakaroon ng walong istasyon ang nasabing linya na magkokonekta sa Tagum sa Davao del Norte, Davao City, at Digos sa Davao del Sur.
Kayang ma-accommodate ng first segment ang 122,000 pasahero at mula sa tatlong oras, magiging isang oras na lang ang travel time sa pagitan ng Tagum at Digos.
“Since more than four years ago, when President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, people were already expecting and people were already asking the question: ‘Where is the Mindanao Railway [project]?’
Today, we are saying that with the signing of the agreement, it is about to be born and it is about to be triggered into reality,” pahayag ni Tugade.
Tutulong ang CRDC sa MRP-Project Management Office para sa preparasyon at pamunuan ang project implementation program.
Ang Mindanao Railway Project ang kauna-unahang railway system sa labas ng Luzon.
Layon nitong mapabuti ang inter-island connectivity at economic development sa Mindanao.