Malolos-Clark railway project gets underway

MANILA, Philippines — Construction of the PNR Clark phase 2 project, or the Malolos-Clark portion of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system is set to begin before the year ends after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) completed the award of civil works contracts worth $2.5 billion.

The project’s three remaining civil works packages worth more than $1.7 billion were signed yesterday, completing the five civil works packages needed to start the project’s construction.

“We are starting construction by November or December of this year with the mobilization of our three contractors, with partial operability scheduled in 2023, and our full completion schedule in 2025,” Transportation Undersecretary for railways Timothy John Batan said.

The PNR Clark phase 2 project is the  53-kilometer northern segment of the mega railway network known as the NSCR system which will have a 148-kilometer route length, 37 stations and 464 train cars.

“The signing of these contracts means the Malolos–Clark Railway project construction will now go on full speed, helping the country’s economic revival over the next 12 to 24 months,” Asian Development Bank (ADB) director-general for Southeast Asia Ramesh Subramaniam said.

“When completed by 2025 based on current plans, we expect the project to benefit nearly 350,000 commuters daily. We are proud to work with the Philippine government, development partners, and the private sector to deliver this important flagship infrastructure project using modern technology for the country,” he said.

The project is co-financed by the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

JICA will provide up to $2 billion in additional funding for the rolling stock and railway systems.

The NSCR encompasses three railway projects, including the PNR Clark phase 1, or the Tutuban-Malolos portion, which is a 38-km rail line that will connect Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan.

The segment, which will reduce travel time from approximately one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes, is now 41 percent complete and is targeted to be partially operable by December 2021.

The PNR Clark Phase 2, or the Malolos-Clark segment, will cut travel time from Malolos, Bulacan to Clark International Airport to just 30 minutes from the original one hour and 30 minutes.

The first contract package of the Malolos–Clark railway line was awarded to the joint venture of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., Dong-ah Geological Engineering Co. Ltd., and Megawide Construction Corp.

Spain’s Acciona Construction Philippines Inc. and Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd. won the second contract package, while the third contract package was awarded to Italian–Thai Development Public Co. Ltd.

Contract package four was awarded in August to a joint venture of Acciona Construction Philippines Inc. and EEI Corp., while contract package five was given to Korea’s POSCO Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd.

The last NSCR segment is the PNR Calamba, which is a 56-km line that will run from Solis, Manila to Calamba, cutting travel time to one hour from three hours.