The Department of Transportation said the construction of the Malolos-Clark extension of the North-South Commuter Railway System is on track after awarding three contracts for the project.
The DOTr and the Philippine National Railways awarded the three civil works contract packages for the PNR Clark Phase 2 project, or the Malolos-Clark extension, completing the five civil works packages of the project. Contracts for Packages N-04 and N-05 were signed on Aug. 1, 2020.
The notice of award for Contract Package N-01, which covers 17 kilometers of elevated rail viaduct, seven balanced cantilever bridges and two station buildings in the towns of Malolos and Calumpit in Bulacan and in the towns of Apalit and Minalin in Pampanga, was given to the joint venture of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., Megawide Construction Corp. and Dong-ah Geological Engineering Company Ltd.
Meanwhile, Contract Package N-02, which covers 16 kilometers of elevated viaduct and one station building in the towns of Minalin, Sto. Tomas and San Fernando in Pampanga, was awarded to the joint venture of Acciona Construction Philippines and Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd.
Contract Package N-03, which spans 12 kilometers of elevated viaduct and one station building in the towns of San Fernando, Angeles and Mabalacat was awarded to the Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd.
Meanwhile, PNR general manager Jun Magno said “the [PNR Clark] Malolos-Clark segment has an over-all progress rate of over 26 percent” as of August,.
“It seems to quite catch up with PNR Clark Phase 1 or Tutuban to Malolos segment with over 40 percent,” Magno said.
“We remain hopeful, and we keep exerting not just double, but triple effort to fast-track this added project and at least make it partially operable before the end of President Duterte’s term,” he said.
The project is scheduled to be completed by 2024.
The PNR Clark Phase 2 project is the 53-km northern segment of the 147-km North-South Commuter Railway System, which will run from Clark in Pampanga all the way to Calamba, Laguna. The NSCR will have 37 stations, spanning 26 local government units and connecting three regions.
The project will feature the country’s first airport express service, which reduce slash travel time between Clark International Airport in Pampanga and Makati City from more than two hours by car to just under one hour.
