The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it expects to complete the construction of the extradosed bridge project of the North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project (NSCR-Ex) in San Fernando, Pampanga by August 2027.
The DOTr, along with h Greater Capital Railway Consortium (GCR) and Acciona-DL E&C JV (ADJV), on Oct. 2 broke ground for the construction of the bridge project of the NSCR-Ex.
The agency said that after four years of delay, the construction had finally started after key right-of-way and civil works issues were resolved by the Right-of-Way and Site Acquisition (ROWSA) team led by DOTr assistant secretary Irish Cunanan Calaguas, under the leadership of acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez and former DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon, with the support from local governments of Pampanga province and San Fernando City.
This is in line with the President’s directive to finish the government’s flagship infrastructure projects on time to provide Filipinos with more comfortable and convenient travel options.
Rising as a new landmark in Pampanga, the modern 300-meter cable-stayed bridge will not only connect towns but also ease traffic congestion in the area, bridging the gap for a more sustainable and convenient travel for everyone.
“This bridge is not just another infrastructure. It is a symbol of progress, resilience, and collaboration. It’s tagged as a vital link of the railway alignment bringing us one step closer to our shared vision of a safe, reliable, and modern commuter rail for millions of Filipinos,” DOTr assistant secretary for railways Eduardo Macabulos said.
The extradosed bridge under Malolos-Clark Railway Project (CP N-02) is targeted to be completed by August 2027.
The 52.65-kilometer (km) MCRP is one segment of the bigger 147.26-km North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System Project, which will span 35 stations and two train service types, connecting the National Capital Region (NCR), Region III and Region IV-A.
With a total project cost of P873.6 billion, the NSCR System is the largest infrastructure project financed by the ADB in the Philippines and the entire Asia-Pacific region to date. It is being co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
As of June 2025, the MCRP is already 42.4-percent complete. Once operational by 2028, it is expected to reduce the almost three-hour bus ride between Malolos and Clark to just an hour by train.
Another segment of the NSCR System supported by the ADB is the 56.86-km South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP) connecting Manila to Calamba. Once operational, it is expected to cut travel time from up to 2 hours by bus to just 45 minutes by train.
The NSCR System Project will carry 800,000 passengers per day on full operations and generate 350,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs for Filipinos.
