DOTr set to purchase trains for commuter railway project

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to award the contract for the procurement of trains for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project's Tutuban-Malolos segment by end of May or early June, an official said.

DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is currently conducting its evaluation on the bid proposal submitted by the consortium of Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-TREC).

“We are set to award the contract, if not this month, by next month. The bid submission was in April and the financial evaluation report is now with JICA. After JICA’s concurrence, we will issue the notice of award, sign the contract, and issue the notice to proceed,” Batan said in a press briefing held in Valenzuela City on Monday.

The contract is set to be awarded to the Sumitomo-J-TREC Consortium for the procurement of 13 train sets with eight cars each.

The DOTr also plans to acquire 38 train sets for the Malolos-Clark segment within the third quarter of the year and seven train sets for the airport express trains, which will run up to 160 km. per hour from Clark International Airport to Buendia Avenue in 55 minutes.

The DOTr has awarded the contract for the first construction package of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 to the joint venture of DM Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) and Taisei Corp. last Monday.

The package involves the construction of six stations -- Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue – as well as civil works for the elevated structures and a depot in Valenzuela.

Its second package, which covers the construction work for three stations -- Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos -- was awarded to the consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. last February.

The 180-km. NSCR project, estimated to cost about PHP777.55 billion, will have 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Los Banos, Laguna to be funded through official development assistance by JICA.

It will connect PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark), and the PNR Calamba project, which will run from Manila to Los Banos.

Once fully operational, the NSCR line will serve 700,000 passengers daily, Batan said.

It will also link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070323

DOTr inks contract for Tutuban-Malolos segment of North-South railway project

By Freddie Velez 

CITY OF MEYCAUAYAN, Bulacan — Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Keiji Hirano, executive officer of Taisei Corporation recently led the contract signing for the start of the civil works for the Tutuban-Malolos segment of the North-South Commuter Railway project on Monday in Valenzuela City.

Tugade said the project is under Contract Package 1 of Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 and will include the construction of six railway stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue.

The 37.6-kilometer mass railway transportation that will connect the city to the National Capital Region is expected to cut travel time from one hour 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.

It will also be seamlessly integrated with PNR North 2 and PNR south commuter to form one integrated commuter railway system that will serve commuters traveling to, from, and within the National Capital Region, Region III, and Region IV-A, otherwise known as the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects

The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.

PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages – the first was started last February 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, while the second was started last Monday by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/21/dotr-inks-contract-for-tutuban-malolos-segment-of-north-south-railway-project/

Tugade wants speedy construction of P106-B Clark railway

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has asked Filipino and Japanese construction firms behind the 38-kilometer Tutuban to Malolos North-South Commuter Railway project to make it operational by 2021.

On Monday, Tugade and officials of Taisei Corp. and D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) signed the contract for the civil works of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.

The project’s Phase 1 (Tutuban to Malolos) has two packages: Tutuban to Bocaue and Bocaue to Malolos.

Shorter travel time

When completed before President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ends on June30, 2022, the P106-billion railway is expected to serve around 350,000 daily commuters from Tutuban to Malolos, and will reduce travel time between Manila and Bulacan from one hour and 30 minutes to only 35 minutes.

Tugade said he wanted the project to be operational as early as the third quarter of 2021.

He said the Department of Transportation was processing the remaining small portion of the right of way acquisition for the project.

Financing

The government has awarded to the consortium of DMCI Holdings Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp. the first construction package of the PNR Clark Phase 1.

“These two companies proved that they believed in the government in carrying out the ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects of our President,” Tugade said during the contract signing at the terminal site in Malanday, Valenzuela City.

The project is financed through an official development assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The PNR Clark Phase 1 will have stations in Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan City, Valenzuela City, Meycauayan City, City of Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto. —Carmela Reyes-Estrope

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1121398/tugade-wants-speedy-construction-of-p106-b-clark-railway

DOTR open to reviving emergency powers bid to address traffic crisis

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is open to reviving a shelved program to declare a traffic crisis in Metro Manila and seek so-called emergency powers from Congress after President Duterte’s allies consolidated their power after last week’s midterm polls.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters on Monday that the DOTr would remain supportive if traffic crisis bills pending before the Senate and House of Representatives were revived.

“[We will] pursue in a manner that it will not distract me from the primary projects,” Tugade said, referring to the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. “My mindset now is to finish the projects.”

The declaration of a traffic crisis was among the Duterte administration’s earliest and most controversial programs. It was deemed shelved after lawmakers failed to agree on its final form.

“Our feeling is we have submitted all the necessary papers,” Tugade said.

Among those backing the revival of traffic emergency powers is former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Senator-elect Francis Tolentino, who did not immediately respond to a text message on Monday.

Under the proposed bills, broad powers will be granted to the traffic crisis manager or traffic chief for around three years.

A key part of the legislation is the so-called action plan that will empower the traffic manager to “immediately” implement programs to alleviate congestion. This involves streamlining dated rules and regulations among local government units and on roads like Edsa and C5 and reforms in the public transport sector.

While not explicitly stated, the traffic manager may also seek to control the number of vehicles on the road.

Tugade spoke to reporters as the DOTr launched the start of civil works for the first package of the Philippine National Railways’ Clark Phase 1 project.

This is a component of the North-South Commuter Railway System, which will be interconnected with the Light Rail Transit Line 1 at the Blumentritt Station, LRT-2 at the Sta. Mesa Station and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 at the Edsa Station. It will also be connected to the Metro Manila Subway at the Nichols and FTI stations and with PNR Bicol at the Sucat Station.

PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages, with the first having already started construction last Feb. 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corp. and the second starting Monday by the Taisei-DMCI joint venture.

https://business.inquirer.net/270954/dotr-open-to-reviving-emergency-powers-bid-to-address-traffic-crisis

DoTr prepares to award rolling stock contract

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is set to award the contract to provide train sets for the Tutuban-Malolos segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project by end-May or early June.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which will finance the project through a P777.55-billion loan together with the Asian Development Bank, is currently conducting financial evaluation of the bid submitted by the tandem composed of Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Co. (J-TREC).

“Mag-aaward na tayo nyan if not this month, by next month. Nag-bid submission kasi tayo nyan noong Abril, ’yung financial evaluation report ay nasa JICA na for concurrence. Pagkalabas ng concurrence ng JICA ay mag-iissue na tayo ng award, pipirma ng kontrata at mag-issue ng notice to proceed (We are set to award the contract if not this month, by next month. The bid submission was in April and the financial evaluation report is now with JICA. After JICA’s concurrence, we will issue the notice of award, sign the contract and issue the notice to proceed),” he said during a briefing on Monday.

The contract set to be awarded to Sumitomo-J-TREC is for the procurement of 13 train sets with 8 cars each.

On Monday, the DoTr awarded the construction contract to DMCI Holdings, Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp. for the civil works for six train stations of the Tutuban-Malolos railway, also called the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 1.

Actual construction also started after the contract signing, and is targeted to finish by end-2021.

The NSCR project is composed of three main railway segments that will link Clark, Pampanga to Los Banos, Laguna: a 72-kilometer line from Los Banos to Tutuban, a 38-kilometer line from Tutuban to Malolos, and a 53-kilometer line from Malolos to Clark.

The 147-kilometer project is expected to be fully operational by 2023.

Aside from the rolling stock package for the Tutuban-Malolos segment, the NSCR project also involves two more rolling stock packages that will be bid out eventually. These are for the 38 train sets for the Malolos-Clark and Tutuban-Calamba segment of the railway project, and the seven train sets for the airport commuter service.

“’Yung pangalawa nating rolling stock package, ’yung 38 na train sets, ’yan ay for publication nitong third quarter of 2019 [The call for bids for the second rolling stock package involving the 38 train sets is for publication by the third quarter of 2019],” Mr. Batan said.

The last package is for the airport express trains, which are high-speed trains that could run up to 160 kilometers per hour, making the travel time from the Clark International Airport to the would-be station in Buendia run in 55 minutes. — Denise A. Valdez

https://www.bworldonline.com/dotr-prepares-to-award-rolling-stock-contract/

DOTr firms up multiphase completion of NSCR project

Following the signing of the deal for the construction of the first portion of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project on Monday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is preparing for the acquisition of new rolling stocks to serve the future train line that will connect Clark and Calamba in just two hours.

Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan said there will be three packages for the acquisition of new trains for the proposed commuter railway system.

The first one, which is already on its way, is for the Tutuban-Malolos alignment. It will consist of 13 train sets with eight cars each. This is expected to be awarded to Sumitomo Corp. and JR East Railway of Japan sometime in the next two months.

The second package, on the other hand, involves the supply of 38 train sets in eight-car configuration, which will be used for the Malolos-Clark alignment. The publication of the invitation to bid for this is scheduled for the third quarter of the year.

The third package is for the supply of seven express train sets with eight cars each to serve the airport line. In total, the future commuter line will have a rolling stock portfolio of 58 train sets, or a total of 464 cars.

“The beauty of it is that because the system is interoperable, the first trains can run all the way to Clark and all the way to Calamba,” Batan said.

Envisioned as a 147-kilometer elevated, double-track railway that will run from the Clark International Airport to Los Banos, Laguna, the 36-station NSCR will cost the government roughly P777.55 billion to build. The entire NSCR line aims to serve 700,000 passengers daily once fully operational.

For its first portion, which is the PNR Clark Phase 1, the government has tapped Filipino-Japanese joint venture D.M. Consunji Inc.-Taisei Corp. to build the first six stations of the line. These stations are in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue.

Its second contract package, which covers the construction works for three stations, namely, Balagtas, Guiginto and Malolos, started in February with Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. winning the contract. Lorenz S. Marasigan

PNR Clark Phase 1 is a 37.6-kilometer railway that will run from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan.

Once PNR Clark Phase 1 is completed and fully operable by the last quarter of 2021, travel time from Manila to Bulacan will be reduced from 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. This rail line is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/05/21/dotr-firms-up-multiphase-completion-of-nscr-project/

Work starts on P2-B PNR Clark line

Phase 1 to link Malolos to Tutuban

By Emmie V. Abadilla

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday started work on the second package of the over P2-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 linking Tutuban, Manila with Malolos, Bulacan.

The project is part of the P777.5-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Extension Project spanning 147 kilometers, with a total of 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna.

Phase 1 of the railway with cut travel time to Bulacan from the current one and a half hours to 35 minutes and will serve more than 340,000 passengers per day when it becomes operational by 2021.

It consists of 2 Civil Works Packages, with the first having already started construction this February 15, by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second, started yesterday, May 20, by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.

This initial phase of the PNR Clark Railway Project will eventually extend all the way to Clark, Pampanga.

It will have 10 stations: Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto, with a depot in Valenzuela city.

Furthermore, Phase 1 will be seamlessly integrated with PNR Clark Phase 2 going to Clark, Pampanga and PNR South Commuter going to Calamba, Laguna, forming one integrated commuter railway system serving commuters travelling to, from, and within NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A.

The PNR Clark project took the place of the defunct Northrail project, which the government abandoned after reaching an out-of-court settlement with its Chinese contractor after many years of arbitration proceedings.

The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.

It spans 147-km., a fully-elevated, dual-track, electrified, and high capacity commuter railway, with 37 stations, and a fleet of 58 8-car train sets, or a total of 464 train cars. It will connect 26 local government units in all.

The NSCR System will link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway. It is expected to serve some 700,000 passengers per day once it is fully operational in 2023,connecting Clark Airport to Buendia in as short as 55 minutes, and Clark Airport to Calamba in 1 hour and 40 minutes.

PNR Clark Phase 2 consists of 5 Civil Works Packages, with the first three packages scheduled for Bid Submission in July 2019, and the 4th and 5th packages scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019.

PNR Calamba, meanwhile, consists of 7 Civil Works Packages, with the first package for its Partial Operability Section already scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019, and the 2nd to the 7th packages scheduled for publication also in the 3rd Quarter 2019.

The 14 Civil Works Packages, 2 Electromechanical Packages, and 3 Rolling Stock Packages of the NSCR System are being co-financed by the Government of Japan through JICA, and by the Asian Development Bank, and are being procured together with the PNR and the Procurement Service of the DBM, following JICA’s and the ADB’s Procurement Guidelines.

PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 will be operational by early 2022, while PNR Calamba will be partially operational by 2022 and fully operational by 2023.

https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/20/work-starts-on-p2-b-pnr-clark-line/

Tutuban-Malolos rail construction proceeds

Japanese and local contractors started the construction of train stations along the Tutuban-Malolos segment of PNR Clark Phase 1 following the signing of a contract, the Department of Transportation said Monday.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Taisei Corp. managing executive officer Keiji Hirano signed the contract, with D.M. Consunji Inc. president and chief executive Jorge Consunji serving as a witness. Taisei and DMCI formed a joint venture to build the 38-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 1.

PNR Clark Phase 1 will run from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan. The first package consists of civil works for elevated structures, a depot in Valenzuela and the construction of six stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue.

Tugade said the construction works for the second package actually started in February and covered three stations in Balagtas, Guiginto and Malolos, while the development of six stations under the first package began Monday.

He said that once PNR Clark Phase 1 was completed and became operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, travel time from Manila to Malolos would be reduced from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. The rail line once completed is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.

“Last February, we started the actual construction of three stations, from Bocaue to Malolos. Now we are here to start the second phase of PNR Clark 1 from Tutuban to Bocaue...Today is a humble response to the president’s order to improve Filipino lives through enhanced mobility and connectivity,” Tugade said.

PNR Clark Phase 1 forms part of the North-South Commuter Railway Project―a mega rail network that aims to seamlessly integrate the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, through PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 (Tutuban-Malolos and Malolos-Clark) and PNR Calamba (Manila-Laguna).

Transportation Undersecretary Timothy Batan said the entire NSCR line aimed to serve 700,000 passengers daily once fully operational.

“The North-South Commuter Railway System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects, demonstrates the scale of what the DOTr, under the strong leadership of Secretary Tugade, is working triple, if not quadruple, time to deliver. It is indeed a most ambitious project that will usher in the Philippines’ ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure,’ and that will deliver our president’s promise of a more comfortable life to every Filipino,” Batan said.

Tugade said the DOTr and the PNR were expediting the acquisition of right of way to complete the construction of the stations.

“As I speak today, we have completed 90.1 percent of the right of way. We have 443,000 square meters finalized and clear. With the efforts of the PNR and the DOTr, in a matter of time, the properties will be delivered free and clear so that the Filipino people can ride and experience the rail system ahead of time,” Tugade said.

Consunji said that together with Taisei Corp., they would deliver their commitment once the ROW was free and clear.

“DMCI, together with Taisei, is proud in welcoming the changes to advance the progress of our nation. Secretary Tugade, you give us the right of way, and we will deliver right away,” Consunji said.

“This is a good example of having a stronger collaboration not just between our two governments but with the private sector, as well. It has always been a great honor for Jica to be part of the Philippine government’s undertakings and be given the opportunity to work with the Department of Transportation in improving the daily commuting experience of the Filipinos,” said Jica chief representative Yoshio Wada said.

PNR Clark Phase 1 is funded by official development assistance from Japan through Jica.

http://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/295209/tutuban-malolos-rail-construction-proceeds.html