11 firms offer to build Malolos-Clark railway

Local companies Megawide Construction Corp. and EEI Corp. and nine foreign groups submitted bids for the three contract packages under PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark), the Transportation Department said Wednesday.

The department identified the nine international companies bidding for the P283.3-billion contract as Acciona (Spain), Daelim (Korea), Dong Ah Construction (Korea), Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Korea), Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (Thailand), PT Pembangunan Perumahan (Indonesia), PT Waskita Karya Tbk (Indonesia), PT Wijaya Karya Tbk (Indonesia) and Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Corp. (Japan).

“Already the Asian Development Bank’s largest and fastest-moving project, the North-South Commuter Railway Project―which includes PNR Clark Phase 2―continues to set records with its high turnout from nine international and two local companies, bidding as seven different joint ventures and sole bidders,” the agency said in a statement.

PNR Clark Phase 2, which forms part of the North-South Commuter Rail, is a 53-kilometer line from Malolos, Bulacan to Clark, Pampanga.  The agency said the construction of Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos leg) was already in full swing.

This will feature the country’s first airport express railway service. Once completed, it will allow commuters to reach the Clark International Airport from Buendia in Makati in just 55 minutes, compared to two hours by private vehicle via expressway.

Contract package 1 covers civil works for 17 kilometers of PNR Clark Phase 2 including Calumpit and Apalit stations while the second contract covers 16 kilometers including San Fernando station.  The third contract package spans 12 kilometers encompassing Angeles and Clark Stations.

Philippine National Railways general manager Junn Magno said the record turnout of bidders demonstrated the international infrastructure industry’s support to the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration and their trust in the transparent, fair and corruption-free bidding process jointly implemented by the Transportation Department, the Budget Department and PNR.

“We are very happy with the turnout of bidders for PNR Clark Phase 2. This vibrant participation from international and local companies is proof that they trust this government and the processes we institute,” Magno said.

“This is indeed a vote of confidence that we are doing things the right way, and soon, our countrymen will reap the benefits through improved mobility and connectivity,” he said.

PNR Clark Phase 2 is seen to accommodate 340,000 passengers in its opening year in 2022.

The Transportation Department said that more contract packages would be scheduled for bid submission and publication in the next months for the massive NSCR, which spans 147 kilometers and 37 stations.

The P777.55-billion rail network project is co-financed by the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Bid submissions for Package 4 (8 kilometers with Clark International Airport Station) and Package 5 (Clark Depot) are slated on Oct. 14.

The department will open the bidding for 304 commuter train cars, 56 airport express train cars and electromechanical systems in September through the fourth quarter of 2019.

Meanwhile, the bid submission for PNR Calamba Package 1 (1 kilometer including Blumentritt station) is on Nov. 5.

http://manilastandard.net/business/biz-plus/303542/11-firms-offer-to-build-malolos-clark-railway.html