PNR’s Malolos–Valenzuela route to open December

By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz

The Malolos-Valenzuela phase of the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) is expected to be operational by December this year, an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday.

During a site inspection of the railway, DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said PNR Clark North 1 -- which will connect Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan -- will have its train depot at the Valenzuela Station.

Batan said trains from the depot will then pass through Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, until it reaches Malolos.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said the PNR Clark North 1 project is currently 45.82 percent complete and will be completed by the second quarter of 2024.

“This is very historical dahil apat na beses na sinubukan ang paggawa nitong proyektong ito simula 1993, at ngayon ang kauna-unahan na mayroon tayong konstruksyon (This is very historical because there have been four attempts at making this project since 1993, and only now did we begin construction),” Tugade said.

He said his personal inspection of the construction site proves that the project continues to move forward despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Siguro tinatanong n'yo kung bakit ako nag-iinspeksyon kahit alam naming may Covid-19. Ito ay upang maipakita namin sa inyo na ang proyektong ito ay tuloy na tuloy na (Maybe you want to ask why I’m inspecting while there’s Covid-19. This is to show everyone that the project will continue on),” Tugade said.

He noted that the training simulator for the train service will arrive in the country between September and October while the trains will arrive in December.

The PNR Clark North 1, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is a 38-kilometer railway with 10 stations that will cut across the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Valenzuela, and the municipalities of Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos.

Once completed, the rail service is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily and will reduce travel time from Malolos to Tutuban, and vice versa, from an hour and 30 minutes to only 35 minutes.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141743

Duterte OKs bill dividing Caloocan City’s 1st district into 2 districts

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill that divides the first and second legislative district of Caloocan City into three districts and allowing the creation of the city’s third legislative districts.

Republic Act No. 11545 takes effect in the 2022 national and local elections.

Under the new law, the first legislative district will be composed of Barangays 1 to 4, 77 to 85 and 132 to 169.

Meanwhile, Barangays 170 to 175 and 177 to 179 form the city’s third legislative district and 176 and 180 to 188 to form the city’s fourth legislative district.

The law, which was signed on May 26, but was only released to the media on Wednesday, tasks the Commission on Elections to issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations within 30 days of the measure’s effectiveness.

The law will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

In March, the Senate approved a bill reapportioning the first district of Caloocan City into two legislative districts, which will allow the people of the city to have “a stronger and firmer voice in Congress with their additional representation.”

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1437550/duterte-oks-bill-dividing-caloocan-citys-1st-district-into-2-districts

Tugade: PNR Clark Phase 1 on track

 After almost three decades, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 Project is now on track, with a 45.82 percent overall progress rate, and “all moving forward,” Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade announced Wednesday night, May 26.

“This is very historical project because there were four attempts to build it since 1993 and only now did we have the actual construction for the first time,” he explained during the PNR Clark Phase 1 Project site inspection.

Previous administrations tried to start the project but failed, Tugade stressed. “It’s all talks of ground breaking, no construction work. Now, we’re really building and the trains will be delivered soon.”

Phase 1 is a 38-kilometer railway connecting Tutuban Station in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan, part of PNR North which forms the P319.5 Billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project.

The NSCR System consists of PNR Clark Phase 1, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 72-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Los Banos.

It spans 147-km., afully-elevated, dual-track, electrified, and high capacity commuter railway, with 37 Stations, and a fleet of 58 eight-car Train Sets, or a total of 464 Train Cars. It will connect 26 Local Government Units in all.

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.

PNR North will cut across the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Valenzuela and the municipalities of Meycuayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto and Malolos City in Bulacan.

Once completed, the project will serve 330,000 passengers daily and will reduce travel time from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban from an hour and 30 minutes to 35 minutes.

Tugade personally inspected the site to prove that the project is continuing and is moving forward.

The project’s training simulator will be arriving between September and October, while the trains will arrive in December, he announced.

Phase 1 employed 7,500 workers during construction, while 2,000 additional jobs will be made available once the project becomes operational, according to the DOTr Secretary.

At least 200 former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are currently employed in the project, while more jobs to be opened, prioritizing more OFWs, and displaced Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers and conductors.

This first phase will be partially operational in the fourth quarter of this year and fully operational by 2nd quarter of 2024.

This year, the government is spending P38.6 BIllion on the NSCR project and expects to spend P128.8 Billion in 2022.

By 2023, the government has allocated P101Billion for the project; P31.135 Billion, in 2024 and P19.76 Billion, in 2025.

The NSCR System will link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway.

Overall, it will serve some 700,000 passengers per day once it is fully operational,connecting Clark Airport to Buendia in 55 minutes, and Clark Airport to Calamba in 1 hour and 40 minutes.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/27/tugade-pnr-clark-phase-1-on-track/

Construction of PNR Clark phase 1 now 20% complete