PNR CLARK PHASE I CONTRACT SIGNING. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade (3rd from right) and Keiji Hirano, managing executive officer of Taisei Corporation (3rd from left) lead the contract signing for the start of the civil works for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project from Tutuban in Manila to Bocaue, Bulacan during the simpe rites at Valenzuela City on Monday (May 20, 2019). Witnessing the contract signing are Katsumi Tamura, general manager of Taisei Corporation (extreme left); Jorge Consunji, chief executive officer and president of D.M. Consunji, Inc. (second from left); DOTr Undersecretary Timothy John Batan (second from right); and Junn Magno, general manager, Philippine National Railways (rightmost). (Photo by Manny Balbin)
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday started civil works for the Tutuban-Bocaue segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade led the Start of Works Ceremony at the NSCR Valenzuela Depot, together with Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, Undersecretary for Finance Garry De Guzman, Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra, Philippine National Railways (PNR) Chairman Roberto Lastimoso, PNR General Manager Junn Magno, Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Projects Eymard Eje, and Assistant Secretary for Maritime Lino Dabi.
Tugade signed the contract on behalf of DOTr, and Taisei Corporation managing executive officer Keiji Hirano for Taisei - D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) Joint Venture, with DMCI president and CEO Jorge Consunji as witness.
In his speech, the secretary thanked Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the trust and confidence extended to the DOTr.
He also thanked the local government represented by Rep. Sherwin Tugna, for its partnership with the agency for the project in the province of Bulacan.
"We all gather today to formally start the construction of the 2nd Phase of this railway system from Tutuban to Bocaue. This railway system will be completed and operational on the 4th quarter of 2021," Tugade said.
He also said that bidding and construction of the Malolos to Clark segment of the railway system will start in July 2019 and to be completed in 2022.
The North-South Commuter Railway project is under Contract Package 1 of Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
It will include the construction of six railway stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue.
It is a 37.6-kilometer mass railway transportation railway that will connect Malolos, Bulacan to the National Capital Region and is expected to cut travel time from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.
It will also be seamlessly integrated with PNR North 2 and PNR south to form one railway system that will serve commuters traveling to, from and within the National Capital Region, Region III and Region IV-A otherwise known as the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects.
The NSCR System consists of the 38-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages, with the first having already started construction last February 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second starting this Monday by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
The said project is financed through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) of JICA. The loan agreement was signed on Nov. 27, 2015. (PNA)
