Gov’t hoping to award contract for subway train sets by Nov.

THE Transportation department said it hopes to award in November the contract for the rolling stock package of the Metro Manila Subway Phase 1.

Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran told BusinessWorld by phone last week that the department has 30 days to review the technical bid and 15 days for the financial bid of the joint venture (JV) of Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Co. (J-Trec).

The department targets to award the contract in November, Ms. Libiran added.

The contractor is to design, execute and complete 30 train sets consisting of eight electric multiple units or a total of 240 train cars, according to the department’s bid bulletin.

Only the J-Trec-Sumitomo JV submitted on Monday a bid proposal to provide train sets for the first phase of the subway project.

Originally scheduled for March 17, the submission of bids was postponed to July 27 due to the pandemic. Bids for the train sets should be submitted along with a 600-million-yen bid security with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management in Manila.

The JV was awarded in July 2019 the contract for the rolling stock package of the North-South Commuter Railway Project (Malolos to Tutuban).

Sumitomo is one of the maintenance service providers of Metro Rail Transit Line 3, along with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering Ltd. and TES Philippines, Inc.

The Department invited Japanese firms in December to bid to supply train sets, as well as electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems and rail track works for the first phase of the subway project, a flagship project that is funded by Japan official development assistance.

The Transportation department said in February that Hitachi Ltd., Sumitomo, and Mitsubishi Corp. bought bid documents for the rolling stock package.

Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, Mitsui & Co. Ltd., and Marubeni Corp. also purchased bid documents for the contract to provide E&M systems and track works. Two Philippine-based firms — D.M. Consunji, Inc. and KDDI Philippines Corp. — likewise bought bid documents for this package.

The deadline for submission of bids for E&M and track works was initially set on March 24, with a bid security of 800 million yen. This was postponed to Aug. 17, according to a July 7 bid bulletin.

The Metro Manila Subway will have 17 stations: Quirino Highway, North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, Kamuning, Cubao, Santolan-Annapolis, Ortigas North, Ortigas South, Kalayaan Avenue, BGC, Cayetano Boulevard and FTI.

The first phase covers the first three underground stations, tunnels and depot construction, depot equipment and buildings.

The government broke ground for the first three stations in February 2019 after the Transportation department signed a P51-billion deal with the Shimizu joint venture, which consists of Shimizu Corp., Fujita Corp., Takenaka Civil Engineering Co. Ltd., and EEI Corp. The department hopes to begin tunneling works this year.

The Philippines and Japan signed in March 2018 the first tranche of the P355.6-billion loan for the project.

Parts of the Japanese-supplied tunnel boring machines which will be used to excavate tunnels were unveiled in February.

While the public will have to wait until 2025 for full operations of the 17-station subway, the government is planning to launch partial operations, covering the first three stations by 2022. — Arjay L. Balinbin

https://www.bworldonline.com/govt-hoping-to-award-contract-for-subway-train-sets-by-november/

Contract packages for PNR Clark Phase 2 construction signed

The country’s first airport railway express service will soon start construction as the first two contract packages for the Philippine National Railways Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) segment of the massive North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project were signed over the weekend.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade led the virtual signing of the contracts, marking the commencement of civil works for the 53-kilometer extension that will bring passengers from Makati City in Metro Manila to Clark International Airport in Pampanga in just under one hour.

The first signing was for Contract Package N-04, which covers the civil engineering and building works for approximately 6.3 kilometers of the main line and 1.6 kilometers of the depot's access line with an underground station serving Clark International Airport.

Also signed was Contract Package N-05, which covers the civil engineering and building works for the Clark Railway Depot. The depot covers an overall area of approximately 33 hectares. The contract covers the construction of the Operations Control Center, stabling yard, workshops, training center and other ancillary buildings in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

In his message, Tugade said the contract signing is proof that flagship projects under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program continue despite various challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

“While the critics have expressed doubts, skepticisms, and discouragement, we will give the people hope, confidence, and assurance through concrete actions and actual work," he said.

Tugade described the PNR Clark Phase 2 as symbolic of a new ground being created as the project paves the way for the establishment of the country’s first-ever airport railway express service.

“Since the NSCR will feature the country's first airport express train service allowing travelers to get from Makati to Clark Airport in under one hour, we can consider it as a trailblazing project. To achieve this, trains will run at 160 kilometers per hour, making it one of the fastest modes of land public transportation,” he said.

The virtual signing ceremony was also attended by key officials from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Acciona Construction Philippines, EEI Corporation, and POSCO Engineering and Construction Corporation, who expressed their full support and commitment with the project, which is part of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

“Secretary Tugade, on behalf of the ADB, on behalf of the management, I’d like to congratulate you and the team, as well as the two successful contractors. This is a very special day. And Secretary Tugade, it is definitely your strong leadership, your drive, your unwavering and unrelenting commitment to the Philippines that led us, brought us all together here today,” ADB Southeast Asia Director General Ramesh Subramaniam said.

Subramaniam noted that the signing of contracts is a major milestone for the Malolos-Clark Railway project as well as for the Philippine transport sector.

“The signing of contracts today also is very, very timely. The civil works contracts will help kickstart the economic revival of the Philippines over the next 12 months as the country faces the pandemic. Under the railway project, we estimate that 24,000 local construction jobs will be directly created during the next three years. And another at least 14,000 jobs needed for operating the railway system,” he said.

Contract Package N-04 was virtually signed with Acciona Construction Philippines, through Director Ruben Eugenio Garcia and Chief Financial Officer Angel Fernandez de la Pradilla, and EEI Corporation, through President and CEO Roberto Jose Castillo.

Contract Package N-05 meanwhile was virtually signed with POSCO Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd., through Executive Vice President Dong Ho Kim and POSCO E&C Vice President Sung Wook Chung.

Once partially operational by 2022, PNR Clark Phase 2 will connect Malolos, Bulacan to Clark International Airport. It will cut down travel time to 30-35 minutes, from the original 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Also in attendance in the virtual signing ceremony were Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa, and Senior Representative Kiyo Kawabuchi, DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, Undersecretary for Finance Garry De Guzman, Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra, PNR General Manager Junn Magno, Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation Giovanni Lopez, and EEI Corporation Senior Vice President for Infrastructure Group Manfred Richter.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1110957

Construction of Malolos-Clark segment of PNR Clark Phase 2 to begin soon: DOTr

The construction of the PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) segment of the North-South Commuter Railway project will begin soon after its contract packages were signed on Aug. 1, the Transportation Department said Monday.

The DOTr and the Asian Development Bank signed the contracts virtually for the 53-kilometer extension which will bring passengers from Makati City to Clark International Airport in under 1 hour, the DOTr said in a statement.

The first contract package will cover the civil engineering and building works for the estimated 6.3 kilometers of the main line and 1.6 kilometers of the depot's access line with an underground station serving Clark International Airport, the DOTr said. 

The second package will cover the civil engineering and building works for the Clark Railway Depot, with an area of about 33 hectares, it said.

“While the critics have expressed doubts, skepticisms, and discouragement, we will give the people hope, confidence, and assurance through concrete actions and actual work," DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

The "trail-blazing project" will feature trains that will run at 160 km per hour, making them one of the fastest modes of land transport, he said.

The construction will generate some 24,000 local jobs and an additional 14,000 for operating the railway system, said ADB Southeast Asia director general Ramesh Subramaniam.

"The signing of contracts today also is very, very timely. The civil works contracts will help kickstart the economic revival of the Philippines over the next 12 months as the country faces the pandemic," Subramaniam said.

Once partially operational by 2022, the PNR Clark Phase 2, a 53-km rail line segment, will connect Malolos, Bulacan to Clark International Airport and cut travel time to 30 to 35 minutes from 1 hour and 30 minutes, the DOTr said.

Also present during the virual signing are representatives from Acciona Construction Philippines, EEI Corporation, and POSCO Engineering and Construction Corporation.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/03/20/construction-of-malolos-clark-segment-of-pnr-clark-phase-2-to-begin-soon-dotr

Work commences on airport express link from Manila to Clark

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to begin work on the next phase of a railway line that will eventually link Metro Manila and Clark International Airport in Pampanga province.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement over the weekend they awarded the first two construction packages for the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 2, which is among the government’s flagship infrastructure projects.

According to the DOTr, this marks the “commencement of construction works for the 53-kilometer extension that will connect Makati and Clark International Airport in under 1 hour.”

PNR Clark Phase 2 will link Malolos, Bulacan, to Clark, Pampanga. It forms part of the massive North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and the country’s first airport express railway service.The virtual signing ceremonies were done with Acciona Construction Philippines and EEI Corp. for package N-04 and South Korea’s POSCO Engineering and Construction Co. for package N-05.

According to the DOTr, contract package N-04 of the PNR Clark Phase 2 will cover the civil engineering and building works for approximately 6.3 km of the main line, and 1.6 km of the depot’s access line, with one underground station serving Clark airport.

Contract package N-05, on the other hand, covers the civil engineering and building works for the Clark Railway Depot, covering an overall area of approximately 33 hectares.

The component also includes the construction of the operations control center, stabling yard, workshops, training center and other ancillary buildings in Mabalacat, Pampanga. PNR Phase 2 will be partially completed by 2022.

It will reduce travel time between Malolos, Bulacan, and Clark International Airport to just 30-35 minutes, and from Buendia in Makati to Clark airport from two hours by car to just 55 minutes through the airport express.

It aims to serve 340,000 passengers daily in its opening year.With a project cost of about P777.5 billion, the NSCR is a 37-station mega railway network spanning 148 km. It is cofinanced by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

https://business.inquirer.net/304260/work-commences-on-airport-express-link-from-manila-to-clark

ACCIONA wins €330 million railway contract in the Philippines

ACCIONA has won a €330 million contract to build a section of a new railway line in the Philippines that will link the city of Malolos with Clark International Airport, 80 kilometers north of Manila, the capital. The project is being financed by the Asian Development Bank and it is estimated that construction will take three years.

The contract involves the construction of a 6.5-kilometer main railway line, which includes an elevated section, an underground section with cut and cover that will provide access to the Clark International Airport station, substation, and auxiliary facilities.

The rail line will become a key transport infrastructure in the metropolitan region of Manila and is one of the priority projects identified by the Department of Transportation (DOTR). The project will cut the travel time between Clark and Manila from two to three hours by bus to one hour by train, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60,000 tons a year.

ACCIONA has considerable experience in executing rail infrastructure. The group is currently constructing the Follo Line in Oslo, Norway for the Norwegian Railway Authority, which will become the longest railway tunnel in Scandinavia upon completion. Another noteworthy project is the company’s design and execution of the Dubai Metro Red Line expansion. In Latin America, ACCIONA has built metro lines in Santiago, Chile, and Quito, Ecuador. In Spain, ACCIONA has built several metro lines in Madrid and Barcelona.

ACCIONA, which opened a commercial office in Manila in April 2019, has been operating in the country since 2016 after being awarded the contract for the design, construction, operation, and one-year maintenance of the Putatan II water treatment plant. The plant required an investment of US$127 million and will cater o nearly 1.5 million people.

Currently, ACCIONA is also developing the 650-meter-long Cebu-Cordova cable-stayed bridge in the Philippines, which will link Cebu City and Mactan International Airport. The project has reached the 50% completion mark.

https://www.acciona.com/news/acciona-wins-330-million-railway-contract-the-philippines/

Work on PNR Clark airport station to start soon

THE construction of the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark railway) project’s 6.5-kilometer railway track, an underground station at Clark International Airport, and a depot is set to start within the quarter, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said.

“The milestone of this project is running at great speed, from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approval in 2018 to the signing of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan agreement in July 2019 until its contract signing today. The PNR Phase 2 is one of ADB’s fastest large-scale projects,” Mr. Tugade said during the virtual contract signing for the two contract packages of the Malolos-Clark Railway project Saturday.

He added: “In fact, based on the projected timeline for the implementation of this project, the target start of the project construction will be in the third quarter of this year.”

One of the contracts signed was Contract Package 4 of the PNR Clark Phase 2 for civil engineering and building works covering approximately 6.3 kilometers of the main line, and 1.6 kilometers of the depot’s access line, with one underground station serving Clark International Airport.

The successful bidder for this package was a joint venture between Spain’s Acciona Construction Philippines, Inc. and EEI Corp.

Contract Package 5 covering the civil engineering and building works for the Clark Railway Depot was also signed. This package covers 33 hectares, including construction of the operations control center, stabling yard, workshops, training center and other ancillary buildings in Mabalacat, Pampanga, the Transportation department said in a statement. The contract was awarded to South Korea’s POSCO Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd.

The two civil works contracts cost nearly P38 billion or $728 million and will be financed by the ADB and co-financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

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

The flagship Malolos-Clark railway project is part of the 163-kilometer North South Commuter Railway  project.

The ADB said the rail line “will ease road congestion in the capital and nearby provinces and reduce annual traffic-related economic costs, which total $18 billion in Metro Manila alone. It will help push economic activity to regional growth centers like Clark in Pampanga province.”

“The project will cut the travel time between Clark and Manila from two to three hours by bus to one hour by train, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60,000 tons annually,” it added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

https://www.bworldonline.com/work-on-pnr-clark-airport-station-to-start-soon/

ADB inks deals for Malolos-Clark rail project

A joint venture between a Spanish and a Filipino firm and a South Korean firm bagged the first two civil contracts for the Malolos-Clark Railway Project financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

ADB said in a statement that the two civil works contracts amounted to P38 billion, or $728 million. This will jumpstart the first phase of the project.

The first contract was awarded to the joint venture of Spain’s Acciona Construction Philippines Inc. and EEI Corp. while the second contract was secured by South Korea’s POSCO Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd.

“Today’s signing of the two civil works contracts for the Malolos-Clark Railway Project is a milestone for the Philippine government’s landmark Build, Build, Build infrastructure development program,” ADB Director General for Southeast Asia Ramesh Subramaniam said on Saturday.

The joint venture of Spain’s Acciona Construction Philippines Inc. and EEI Corp. will build about 6.3 kilometer (km) of main railway lines and 1.6 km of depot access line, including an underground railway station at Clark International Airport.

The other contract, which was awarded to South Korea’s POSCO Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd., will erect a 33-hectare depot and a railway operations control center in Mabalacat, Pampanga. Three more contracts for civil works are set to be awarded later this year.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is cofinancing the project, will provide up to $2 billion in additional funding for the rolling stock and railway systems.

ADB said the entire project is expected to create 24,000 local construction jobs in the next three years and 14,000 more jobs related to the railway system’s operation.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/08/03/adb-inks-deals-for-malolos-clark-rail-project/