The speedy resolution of rights-of-way (ROW) concerns and the resettlement of informal settlers living along the planned route of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) is necessary to ensure the timely completion of the vital infrastructure, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
DOTr Undersecretary for railways Jeremy Regino said the agency is determined to complete the 147-kilometer urban rail system within the five-year time frame despite potential concerns. He said the DOTr is working “double time” to secure the rights-of-way needed by NSCR contractors so that construction work would proceed “full steam ahead”.
“As soon as we deliver all the need ROW, we will ask them to ensure that the NSCR is completed within the timeframe or even ahead of the deadline,” Regino said.
He said various government agencies are collaborating to ensure that informal settlers living along the NSCR route will be provided with resettlement areas and that they are moved to these new communities soonest.
Regino said the NSCR is vital to the dispersion of economic growth opportunities to the provinces and regions which will be served by the system. He also said the government is now carefully studying the feasibility of extending the NSCR further north from its present end-point in Clark.
The system has been initially designed to serve the Calamba-Clark corridor. It will pass through certain parts of Metro Manila with a total of 36 stations. It will include and airport express service to the Clark International Airport and will feature a high-speed train which will cut travel time to the airport by 50 percent.
Regino said construction work started in several areas along the NSCR route even while the ROW concerns are being resolved. The old Philippine National Railways (PNR) line which will form part of the NSCR alignment is scheduled to be temporarily suspended to give way to construction activities.
Regino said the PNR would halt its Governor Pascual-Tutuban and Tutuban-Alabang operations starting March 28. The suspension of PNR operations along these routes will accelerate the project timetable by an estimated eight months and will save the government at least P15.18 billion from the project, the DOTr said.
Regino said the government is also working fast on the ROW requirements for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), the 33.1-kilometer underground rail transportation system that will run from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The system will have 17 stations and is expected to serve from 400,000 to 800,000 passengers daily once completed.
Regino said the subway system was designed to interconnect with the various existing light rail transit lines in Metro Manila and with the NSCR.