The Department of Transportation (DOTR) is tapping technical and financial assistance from Japan and China to fast-track the completion of the North- South Commuter Railway (NSCR), a railway project from Metro Manila to Clark, Pampanga and to Bicol region.
Arthur Tugade, DOTR secretary, said the Duterte administration’s economic cluster had decided to partner with Japan for the northern segment and with China for the southern segment.
“We would like to have partnership with countries using their own technologies. What the economic cluster decided (on is for) the group of Luzon will go to the Japanese government, that group… Bicol hopefully will go to the Chinese government, and also Mindanao,” Tugade said.
This will help fast-track the project completion and will avoid delay.
“If we put (two) systems in one place, I will have a problem of mutual relevance and compatibility,” Tugade said.
“I want to start activities that are not covered by legal requirements of procurement and bidding, (otherwise) I will lose time… If I can do certain things that are not required at this time (such as) rigid government requirement why don’t we just start it?” he added.
The north line of the NSCR has been practically firmed up as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said the ongoing detailed engineering design for the NSCR project, conducted through JICA grant, is nearing completion.
Yesterday, the DOTR has in fact unveiled the markers for the location of five of the 17 stations of this portion of the rail, also known as Manila-Clark Railway Project or the Philippine National Railways (PNR) north.
These stations are in Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan and Tutuban in Metro Manila.
“We mark (the stations), then we will start construction. We hope to start the construction in the fourth quarter of this year,” Tugade said .
The NSCR north line, a 106-kilometer line connecting Manila to Central Luzon will cut down travel time by as much as 70 percent.
With this railway project, commuters can travel from Tutuban to Clark in about an hour or 55 minutes, a significant reduction from the current two to three hours.
The rail line will have a total of 17 stations that will run from Tutuban passing through Marilao and Malolos and all the way to the Clark International Airport and the proposed New Clark City in Tarlac.
This will be the first time a commuter rail project will be extended to Central Luzon. This project is expected to decongest Metro Manila and spur development in the peripheries of Metro Manila.
“We hope to finish the term of President Duterte with at least 1,000 kilometers of railway system all over the country,” said Tugade.
This portion costs about P255 billion and will be funded by official development assistance from Japan.
The whole line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.
JICA’s detailed engineering design for the NSCR project identified the locations of, and finalized the designs of, all the future stations.
“The NSCR aims to boost connectivity of emerging growth centers to Metro Manila and improve the mobility of the Filipino commuters,” said Susumu Ito, JICA chief representative. “Once completed, it can help address traffic congestion and improve the quality of life of people living and working in urban areas in Metro Manila,” Ito added.
JICA said the NSCR will use Japanese technology to ensure commuter safety through Japan’s seismic design as well as low emission electric trains for sustainability.
The NSCR’s detailed engineering design includes preparing the railway’s detailed design including alignment of the NSCR line, design of elevated structures, architectural designs of stations and depot, technical requirements for signaling system and rolling stock.
The NSCR, together with the Metro Manila Subway Project, is part of the mass transit backbone forming the North-South Corridor advocated in the Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development Study for Metro Manila and its Surrounding Areas of the National Economic Development Authority and JICA in 2014.
The roadmap is also currently being updated.
The Philippine government and JICA signed on the ¥241.99-billion ($1.992.17 billion) loan agreement for the NSCR Project in Nov. 27, 2015.
The project, which aims to be operational by 2022, will significantly reduce travel time from two hours using traditional transportation to 35 minutes from Malolos to Tutuban.
The NSCR will also provide punctual service for the benefit of the commuters.
JICA said once implemented, the NSCR could be a game changer in the Philippines’ public transport system whose population density is 19,000 persons for every one square kilometer, higher than Tokyo and most Asian cities.
Since the 1960s, JICA has been supporting Philippine transport infrastructure system through hundreds of roads and bridges to encourage investments and sustain economic growth.
The PNR North railway project is one of the 61 infrastructure projects under the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration.
It will begin construction later this year and targeted for completion in 2021. It is designed to accommodate 350,000 passengers daily on its opening year.
Other rail projects include PNR South (Manila – Los Baños – Bicol) and Mindanao Railway. MRT-7, LRT-2 East Extension, and LRT-1 Cavite Extension projects are all undergoing construction.
NSCR is one of the public-private partnership project left unfinished by the previous administration.
The South Line portion was first opened for bidding in 2015 where five bidders among them giant conglomerates had expressed interest.
The South Line portion which intends to revive the operation going of PNR oldest rail system in Southeast Asia to Bicol region.
It was proposed to build a 56-kilometer commuter rail service, for daily riders on the Tutuban, Manila to Calamba, Laguna route . The 478-kilometer for Long-Haul Rail service, for travelers on the Tutuban, Manila to Legazpi, Albay route 58 kilometers from Calamba, Laguna to Batangas City, Batangas 117 kilometers from Legazpi, Albay to Matnog, Sorsogon . (M. Iglesias)
Arthur Tugade, DOTR secretary, said the Duterte administration’s economic cluster had decided to partner with Japan for the northern segment and with China for the southern segment.
“We would like to have partnership with countries using their own technologies. What the economic cluster decided (on is for) the group of Luzon will go to the Japanese government, that group… Bicol hopefully will go to the Chinese government, and also Mindanao,” Tugade said.
This will help fast-track the project completion and will avoid delay.
“If we put (two) systems in one place, I will have a problem of mutual relevance and compatibility,” Tugade said.
“I want to start activities that are not covered by legal requirements of procurement and bidding, (otherwise) I will lose time… If I can do certain things that are not required at this time (such as) rigid government requirement why don’t we just start it?” he added.
The north line of the NSCR has been practically firmed up as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said the ongoing detailed engineering design for the NSCR project, conducted through JICA grant, is nearing completion.
Yesterday, the DOTR has in fact unveiled the markers for the location of five of the 17 stations of this portion of the rail, also known as Manila-Clark Railway Project or the Philippine National Railways (PNR) north.
These stations are in Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan and Tutuban in Metro Manila.
“We mark (the stations), then we will start construction. We hope to start the construction in the fourth quarter of this year,” Tugade said .
The NSCR north line, a 106-kilometer line connecting Manila to Central Luzon will cut down travel time by as much as 70 percent.
With this railway project, commuters can travel from Tutuban to Clark in about an hour or 55 minutes, a significant reduction from the current two to three hours.
The rail line will have a total of 17 stations that will run from Tutuban passing through Marilao and Malolos and all the way to the Clark International Airport and the proposed New Clark City in Tarlac.
This will be the first time a commuter rail project will be extended to Central Luzon. This project is expected to decongest Metro Manila and spur development in the peripheries of Metro Manila.
“We hope to finish the term of President Duterte with at least 1,000 kilometers of railway system all over the country,” said Tugade.
This portion costs about P255 billion and will be funded by official development assistance from Japan.
The whole line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.
JICA’s detailed engineering design for the NSCR project identified the locations of, and finalized the designs of, all the future stations.
“The NSCR aims to boost connectivity of emerging growth centers to Metro Manila and improve the mobility of the Filipino commuters,” said Susumu Ito, JICA chief representative. “Once completed, it can help address traffic congestion and improve the quality of life of people living and working in urban areas in Metro Manila,” Ito added.
JICA said the NSCR will use Japanese technology to ensure commuter safety through Japan’s seismic design as well as low emission electric trains for sustainability.
The NSCR’s detailed engineering design includes preparing the railway’s detailed design including alignment of the NSCR line, design of elevated structures, architectural designs of stations and depot, technical requirements for signaling system and rolling stock.
The NSCR, together with the Metro Manila Subway Project, is part of the mass transit backbone forming the North-South Corridor advocated in the Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development Study for Metro Manila and its Surrounding Areas of the National Economic Development Authority and JICA in 2014.
The roadmap is also currently being updated.
The Philippine government and JICA signed on the ¥241.99-billion ($1.992.17 billion) loan agreement for the NSCR Project in Nov. 27, 2015.
The project, which aims to be operational by 2022, will significantly reduce travel time from two hours using traditional transportation to 35 minutes from Malolos to Tutuban.
The NSCR will also provide punctual service for the benefit of the commuters.
JICA said once implemented, the NSCR could be a game changer in the Philippines’ public transport system whose population density is 19,000 persons for every one square kilometer, higher than Tokyo and most Asian cities.
Since the 1960s, JICA has been supporting Philippine transport infrastructure system through hundreds of roads and bridges to encourage investments and sustain economic growth.
The PNR North railway project is one of the 61 infrastructure projects under the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration.
It will begin construction later this year and targeted for completion in 2021. It is designed to accommodate 350,000 passengers daily on its opening year.
Other rail projects include PNR South (Manila – Los Baños – Bicol) and Mindanao Railway. MRT-7, LRT-2 East Extension, and LRT-1 Cavite Extension projects are all undergoing construction.
NSCR is one of the public-private partnership project left unfinished by the previous administration.
The South Line portion was first opened for bidding in 2015 where five bidders among them giant conglomerates had expressed interest.
The South Line portion which intends to revive the operation going of PNR oldest rail system in Southeast Asia to Bicol region.
It was proposed to build a 56-kilometer commuter rail service, for daily riders on the Tutuban, Manila to Calamba, Laguna route . The 478-kilometer for Long-Haul Rail service, for travelers on the Tutuban, Manila to Legazpi, Albay route 58 kilometers from Calamba, Laguna to Batangas City, Batangas 117 kilometers from Legazpi, Albay to Matnog, Sorsogon . (M. Iglesias)
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