The Department of Transportation said over the weekend it expects the first train set for the PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos) to arrive in the Philippines by the first week of December.
It said the first train set of the rolling stock contract of PNR Clark Phase 1 was now undergoing a series of factory acceptance tests in Japan.
“Through the factory acceptance tests, the newly manufactured train set will undergo verification if it meets its intended purpose, and its compliance with several international standards, such as the International Organization of Standardization and Japanese Industrial Standards,” DOTR said.
“The FATs shall also ensure that the rolling stock’s equipment are correctly and fully functioning, prior to shipment of the trains,” it said.
It said the train set would depart Yokohama Port in October and arrive at Malanday Depot in Valenzuela in the first week of December.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier said the P106-billion PNR Clark Phase 1 Project, a 38-kilometer railway connecting Tutuban Station in Manila and Malolos in Bulacan, was on track to be completed by the second quarter of 2024.
At least 7,500 workers are being employed during the construction of the project, while 2,000 additional jobs would be made available once the project becomes operational, according to Tugade.
PNR North 1 has 10 stations, which will cut across the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Valenzuela and the municipalities and cities of Meycuayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto and Malolos in Bulacan.
Once completed, the project is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily and will reduce travel time from Malolos to Manila from an hour and 30 minutes to 35 minutes.
Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the North-South Commuter Railway Project (Malolos-Tutuban), also known as the PNR North 1 Project, was signed in November 2015.
PNR Clark Phase 1 will be seamlessly connected to the P150-billion PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) and PNR Calamba, forming one integrated commuter railway system that will serve commuters traveling to, from, and within NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A.
PNR Clark Phase 1 and Phase 2 form part of the massive 147-km. North-South Commuter Railway line, which will have 35 stations and operate 464 train cars, with 58 eight-car train sets configuration.
The NSCR System is the single largest infrastructure project funded by the Asian Development Bank and is the longest greenfield commuter railway project to be financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
It is also the biggest project to be undertaken under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration with a total cost of P777.55-billion. It is one of the key infrastructure railway projects supported by Japan, in addition to the Metro Manila Subway and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 rehabilitation projects.