DOTr plans new Calamba train station

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will convert 22 hectares of land in Calamba City, Laguna province, into a depot for a new station of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

The land will be used in building the Banlic Depot Site and Calamba Central Station, which is part of the DOTr’s bigger North-South Commuter Railway project.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Tuesday said the rail line is expected to partially operate in the fourth quarter of 2025, while full operations are expected to commence by 2028.

With the new railway link, commuters can travel from Alabang in Muntinlupa to Calamba in half an hour, Clark in Pampanga in one hour and 30 minutes, and Makati to Calamba in one hour. —MARIEJO S. RAMOS

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1459811/dotr-plans-new-calamba-train-station

PNR Calamba construction to employ 10,000 next year

 The Department of Transportation expects to start the construction of the 56-kilometer, P344.6-billion PNR Calamba line next year that will generate more than 10,000 direct jobs.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the project would provide employment opportunities not only for residents of Calamba but also from nearby municipalities.

He said employees and students would benefit from the operation of the PNR Calamba project which would significantly cut travel time between Metro Manila and Laguna, enabling them to spend more time with their families.

Tugade said the completion of the project would also boost local and regional economic development.

“If we are going to complete this, this would lift the economy of Calamba. Remember, this is a historical site. Imagine the benefits it would generate for tourism,” Tugade said.

One of the flagship projects of the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration, PNR Calamba is the third leg of the massive North-South Commuter Railway project. It will connect Metro Manila (Solis St., Tondo) and Calamba, Laguna and reduce travel time from four hours to just one hour.

The 56-kilometer railway project is expected to serve at least 340,000 passengers a day during its partial operations. Ridership is expected to increase up to 550,000 passengers once the railway is on full operation by 2028.

Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank, PNR Calamba’s 19 stations are located across five cities in Metro Manila and six cities in Laguna.

It will connect to the first two sections of the North-South Commuter Railway. Phase 1 of the NSCR Project is the construction of the P149.13-billion Malolos to Tutuban commuter railway that will be seamlessly integrated to the P283-8 billion PNR Clark Phase 2.

PNR Clark Phase 2 is a 54-kilometer rail line, which will connect Malolos, Bulacan and Clark, Pampanga.

The project will also feature the country’s first-ever Airport Express, which is expected to reduce travel time from Clark International Airport in Pampanga to Makati City to about an hour.

The PNR Clark Phase 1 segment of NSCR, or the Tutuban-Malolos line, was scheduled to be partially operational by December 2021. It will be followed by the PNR Clark Phase 2 project, a 53-km northern segment.

The DOTR earlier announced plans to launch bidding for the operations and maintenance contracts for the Metro Manila Subway Project and North South Commuter Railway System.

DOTR Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the agency was expecting an approval from the National Economic and Development Authority to bid out the O&M for the two projects by the third quarter of 2021.

Dubbed as the “Project of the Century,” the P355-billion Metro Manila Subway is expected to serve 370,000 passengers daily in its first year of full operations.

https://manilastandard.net/business/economy-trade/359729/pnr-calamba-construction-to-employ-10-000-next-year.html

‘PNR Calamba project to create 10K jobs’

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Calamba project will generate 10,000 direct jobs once its construction starts next year.

“It is important to note that the project will provide more than 10,000 jobs during its construction phase. It is also important to note that this is just direct jobs,” he said, noting that it will also generate indirect jobs related to construction.

He added that the project will provide significant benefits to employees and students.

“The benefit of this project is that we will have faster mobility. Those who will benefit from these are mainly students going to their schools and workers going to their place of work,” Tugade said.

Aside from this, Tugade also expects the train system to “boost local and regional economic development.”

“Once we complete this, we are sure that the economy of Calamba, Laguna will expand. Remember, this is a historical site. Imagine the benefits it would generate for tourism.”

The PNR Calamba is the third phase of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project. The 56-kilometer railway aims to connect Metro Manila via Solis St., Tondo and Calamba, Laguna and cut travel time from current four hours to just one hour.

It is expected to serve at least 340,000 passengers a day during its partial operations, while ridership is expected to increase up to 550,000 passengers once the railway is on full operation in 2028. It will have 19 stations.

The project is funded by an official development assistance package from the Asian Development Bank and the the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

In May, Tugade said the train cars for the NSCR are set to arrive in the fourth quarter. He said the actual train cars will arrive in December, while a training simulator for the first phase of the PNR Clark Phase 1 will arrive between September and October. The DOTr chief has ordered the immediate completion of the first two segments of the NSCR project. So far, he said, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phases 1 and 2 are “on track.”

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/14/pnr-calamba-project-to-create-10k-jobs/