PNR phase 1 on track for 2022 completion

 TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur Tugade on Wednesday said construction of the Bocaue to Balagtas terminals for the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 project is on track to be completed next year.

Tugade, who inspected the progress of the construction of Balagtas and Bocaue stations on Wednesday, said overall project progress rate for the PNR Clark 1 was at 51.30 percent.

"What has been a dream and a promise for more than two decades and four administrations, is finally, definitely happening, only in the time of President Rodrigo Duterte," he said.

"This [progress rate] includes not just the 10 stations but also the viaducts and the girders, and other components of the project," Assistant Secretary Goddess Hope Libiran said.

The two stations are targeted to partially operate by October next year.

  

Tugade said all 10 stations in the PNR Clark Phase 1 can be completed in less than two years, including the next six stations for the 53-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark International Airport.

The PNR Clark Phase 1 and 2 are part of the three segments of the massive, game-changing mass transport initiative, the PNR North-South Commuter Railway project.

"Once it becomes operational, it will connect the Malolos and Tutuban, resulting in faster, seamless, and comfortable travel for our commuters," Tugade said.

The 38-kilometer phase 1 segment is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. It will have 10 stations traversing the cities of Manila, Caloocan and Valenzuela in Metro Manila, and the municipalities of Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto and Malolos City in Bulacan.

It is expected to serve 300,000 passengers every day and reduce vehicular travel time between Malolos and Tutuban in Manila from one hour and 30 minutes to only 35 minutes.

An estimated 7,500 jobs were created when the PNR Clark 1 construction rolled out and is expected to open more job opportunities when the mass railway project gets operational, the Transportation department said.

Last week, the first trainset to be used for the 38-km long commuter railway line arrived in the country. A train set with eight cars can carry 2,238 passengers.

The agency is expecting the delivery of 13 total train sets to be used for the Phase 1 segment. The second batch of train sets is scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of 2022.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/12/02/news/regions/pnr-phase-1-on-track-for-2022-completion/1824370