FIRST IN S.-E. ASIA

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32068, 16 August 1969, Page 7

FIRST IN S.-E. ASIA

Monorail For Manila (N.Z.P.A.-RsuWr— Copyright) MANILA. Plane have bean announced for a monorail system for Manila which would help to solve a major transport problem in this city of 1,200,000. Under the plans announced by a private company, the first section of the monorail system would be working by June, 1971. It would be the first such system in SouthEast Asia. The system, costing about $110,000,000, will consist of four radial and two circular routes, with a tote! track length of about 40 miles. Mr Jose Leido, president of the Philippine Monorail Transport System, said the 10mile north-south route—from Caloocan City, north of Manila, to Manila's Plaza Lawton and on to Pasay City, south of Manila—would be built first. A contract for the construction of a $400,000 central terminal for the monorail system had been signed. The terminal would be in Plaza Lawton. The monorail trains would have a speed of 40 miles an hour. Eighteen trains would serve the system, running for 20 hours a day at threeminute intervals. Each train oar would hold 212 passengers —l4O seated and 72 standing. Monorail company officials said they were studying offers of finance and equipment from various firms 'in the United States, West Germany, Japan and Britain.