SANTA ROSA CITY, Laguna (PIA) – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the 1.4-billion US dollar second and final tranche for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
Maricar Bautista, DOTr Spokesperson for Business Infrastructure said during the Ugnayan at Talakayan sa Laguna program that the funding is for the construction of the Malolos to Clark segment of the railway project slated to be finished by 2028.
“Two weeks ago, Secretary Dizon visited the project sites at the Malolos and Clark stations of the NSCR and ordered the contractors to speed up the construction of the projects so the commuters can use the rail system as early as possible.”
The NSCR project, spanning 147 kilometers, will connect key cities in Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Laguna, reducing end-to-end travel time between Clark International Airport in Pampanga and Calamba City in Laguna to less than two hours.
Once fully completed, the NSCR is expected to benefit approximately 800,000 passengers daily by significantly reducing travel time between the northern and southern parts of Metro Manila and Calabarzon region. It will also help decongest Metro Manila and alleviate the daily struggles of the commuting public.
The railway system is also seen to play a vital role in helping the Philippine economy thrive.
Baustista added: “All possible measures and efforts are being made to speed up the project, so we can reduce travel time and instead spend it with our families and for ourselves because when we save more time, we become more productive and more progressive.”
Based on the latest data from the Philippine National Railways (PNR), the NSCR segments including Clark to Malolos has an overall progress of 54 percent, NSCR Phase 1 (N1) Malolos to West Venezuela is at 78.48 percent while NSCR Calamba Extension (SC) Blumentritt to Calamba is at 11.90 percent.
Aside from the NSCR, DOTr and PNR are working on the construction of the South Long Haul Project that will connect Manila down to ports of Batangas and Matnog in Sorsogon and the revival of the Calamba-Legazpi passenger train line. (CO,CH/PIA-4A)
