₱1.87 billion worth of civil works contracts were signed for the Commuter Railway Project in the Philippines.
The Department of Transportation (DoTr) signed four contracts for civil works totaling ₱1.87 billion for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) construction project that will bring back the country’s railway system to its former glory and accelerate the country’s economic rebound.
The contract packages (CP), financed by a loan from the Asian Development Bank, were awarded to the joint venture of Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company Limited (Ltd), Dong-Ah Geological Engineering Company Ltd., Consortium of Lotte Engineering and Construction Company Ltd., Gülermak Ağır Sanayi İnşaat ve Taahhüt A.Ş. and Engineering Equipment, Incorporated Corporation (EEI Corp.), Business Mirror reported.
The contracts signed by DoTr cover the construction and civil works for the following:
· CP04, for the construction of an 8.5kilometer(km) railway linking Alabang and Muntinlupa Poblacion;
· CP05, for the construction of a 12.8km railway for train stations in San Pedro, Pacita, Biñan, and Santa Rosa Laguna;
· CP06, for the construction of a 10.2km railway viaduct structure in Cabuyao, Banlic, and Calamba Laguna, and;
· CP07, for the building and civil engineering works of a 22-hectare Calmaba depot.
CP04, CP05, and CP06 were awarded to the joint venture of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, Ltd. and Dong-Ah Geological Engineering Company Ltd., while CP07 was awarded to the Lotte Engineering & Construction Company, Ltd., Gülermak Ağır Sanayi İnşaat ve Taahhüt A.Ş. and EEI Corp.
President Marcos Jr. pointed out that he is looking forward to the NSCR project, hailing its benefits for the 340,000 daily passengers.
Also, he said that the completion of the South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP) is expected to boost Luzon’s economic development.
He also said the railway will connect Manila to Laguna with a 56km railway, adding that once the project is completed, it will only take 1-hour to travel from Manila to Laguna.
“With the signing of these packages, we demonstrate to our people that we are serious about pursuing large projects for infrastructure to foster growth and revitalize our economy, in spite of the adjustments that we have had to make to compensate for the shocks that the world situation has brought to the Philippines,” Marcos said.
The president is considering similar projects as the country works to recover from the pandemic’s effect on the economy.
“We welcome this development at a time when we are going full speed ahead towards modernization and our transport system and we are reclaiming our lives from the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
The ADB said ₱4.3 billion worth of loans to fund the project that will be implemented by DoTr. The fund will be allocated to the 55 kilometers of railway to connect Metro Manila to Laguna province.
ADB Deputy Director General for Southeast Asia Winfried Wicklein said this project will open tremendous opportunities for economic integration across Metro Manila and neighboring provinces and create a significant positive impact on the local economy.”
The SCRP is part of the NSCR network, which is ADB’s largest infrastructure financing in Asia.
ADB is also financing the construction of the Malolos–Clark Railway Project comprising the northern segment of the railway network.
Once the South Commuter Railway Project is completed, it will provide affordable, safe, and fast public transport, help ease road traffic congestion, and contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Philippines’ climate change agenda.
Wicklein said,
“It will strengthen the country’s economic recovery, create as many as 35,000 construction jobs and more than 3,000 permanent jobs during the railway operation, and improve access for residents of Laguna province to employment in Metro Manila.”
Under the project, 18 elevated and at-grade stations will be built and provide safe access for all, including the elderly, women, children, and people with disabilities.
The SCRP will connect to the future Metro Manila Subway system and be designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. Travel time between Manila and Calamba using the railway will be reduced by over half, from 2.5 hours currently by road.
ADB is funding the civil works for the railway viaduct, stations, bridges, tunnels, and depot buildings, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency is funding the rolling stock and railway systems.
The project is one of the Philippines’ infrastructure flagship projects (IFP). Other IFPs financed by ADB include the Metro Manila Bridges Project approved in 2021, the EDSA Greenways Project in 2020, the Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project in 2016 and additional financing in 2020, the Malolos Clark Railway Project in 2019, and the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project in 2017.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members, and 49 from the region.
DoTr Secretary Jaime Bautista called the NSCR an ambitious project that will bring back the culture of rail transport in the Philippines.
“Today is the next significant step in that direction,” Bautista said, adding that the project will “elevate the country’s transportation system to global standards.”
He emphasized that the project will generate 110,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout its lifetime.
“I cannot over-emphasize the economic and social benefits this new railway will bring to residents of Central Luzon and the Calabarzon area,” Bautista said. “This railway will offer safe, affordable, convenient, and comfortable transport to Filipinos while accelerating the country’s economic rebound.”
When it becomes operational in March 2029, the NSCR System will reduce the time it takes to get from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna, to 2-hours, and accommodate 800,000 passengers per day.
Tags: #Railway, #Transportation, #ADB, #DoTr