The Department of Transportation said Thursday it signed three civil works contracts with two consortiums for the construction of the Metro Manila segment of the North-South Commuter Railway.
Secretary Jaime Bautista said the three contract packages, with a combined cost of P52 billion, would be used “to build a world-class railway line equipped with the most modern facilities.”
“The contractors must be able to build with the least disruption to Metro Manila’s already chaotic daily routine,” Bautista said.
“We want to impress on the contractors the importance of meeting schedules, so the whole NSCR project can be completed as promised,” he said.
CP S-01, awarded to the joint venture of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk and PT PP (Persero) Tbk, includes the construction of a 1.2-kilometer railway viaduct structure and the Blumentritt Station which will be linked to the existing Blumentritt Station of Light Rail Transit Line-1 in Manila.
CP S-03a, clinched by the joint venture of Leighton Contractors (Asia) Ltd. and First Balfour Inc., includes 7.9 km. of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure including an elevated station at Buendia and at-grade stations at EDSA and Senate.
CP S-03c, won by the joint venture of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk. and PT PP (Persero) Tbk, consists of 5.8 km of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure, including elevated stations at Bicutan and Sucat.
Bautista said that with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the governments of Indonesia and Australia, the country inches closer to completing the flagship rail infrastructure.
Records from the DOTr showed that of the total P873-6 billion project cost, the ADB would fund P329.55 billion; JICA, P369.27 billion; and the Philippine government, P174.78 billion.
“We inch closer to completing this longest rail system of the country through their assistance. Once completed, this railway will transform lives and communities,” Bautista said.
DOTr Undersecretary for railways Cesar Chavez said civil works would commence between the fourth quarter of 2023 and first quarter or 2024.
A flagship project under the Build Better More Program, the construction of the 147-km NSCR system aims to seamlessly connect Clark, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna passing through Metro Manila and the towns of Pampanga, Bulacan and Laguna.
Once completed and fully operational, the NSCR project will not only provide quality commuter-train service but also contribute to the economic progress in the Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces, said Chavez.
The project aims to reduce travel time between Clark and Calamba to just two hours and service over 800,000 passengers daily.