PNR North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project on Track
The idea for what is now being called the North-South Commuter Railway was
already on the back burners back in the mid-nineties.
Over the years and decades, plans to establish a commuter rail service
running south and north of Metro Manila spent more time off the shelf than
on.
Only now is the project fully right on track and steadily heading toward
completion.
The North-South Commuter Railway of the Philippine National Railways
envisions the establishment of a commuter railway service that is 147
kilometers long from Calamba in Laguna to the Clark International Airport
in Pampanga.
It will have 37 stations spanning 28 cities and municipalities in the three
regions of Central Luzon, the National Capital Region, and the Calabarzon.
The NSCR encompasses three railway projects, including:
PNR Clark Phase 1, a 38-kilometer rail line from Tutuban in Manila to
Malolos in Bulacan;
PNR Clark Phase 2, a 53-kilometer rail line from Malolos to Clark in
Pampanga;
And PNR Calamba, a 56-kilometer rail line from Solis Street in Tondo to
Calamba in Laguna.
Much progress has been made toward establishing the railroad service. The
PNR Clark Phase is now more than half-way complete, with two stations
expected to be operational this year.
The Department of Transportation has been quite determined in pushing
through the NSCR mega-project which described as the single largest
flagship project of the Duterte Administration.
Already the DOTr and the PNR have formally unveiled the first of 13
eight-car train sets ordered from the Japan Transport Engineering Company
(J-TREC) and Sumitomo Corporation, designed and manufactured to comply with
Japanese and International standards.
The 8-car train sets measure 160 meters in length, can accommodate 2,228
passengers, while able to run at an operational speed of 120 kph.
On the same day of the unveiling, the DOTr signed new contracts for 38 more
eight-car train sets or 304 train cars for the NSCR system.
The NSCR is expected to make travel faster and more convenient between
cities and municipalities in Metro Manila and parts north and south of the
metropolis.
Malolos to Clark can be a short 35-minute train ride. Makati to the Clark
International Airport can take around 55 minutes. Calamba to Manila will
take just around an hour.
When all phases are completed and operational, Clark in Pampanga will only
be a 2-hour train ride away from Calamba in Laguna.
The DOTr is making certain that the NSCR project will be completed to
fulfill the long-term goal of making commuting more comfortable,
convenient, efficient and affordable while bolstering economic progress l
and socio-economic opportunities.
Meanwhile, the NSCR project is already benefitting people and communities
by creating around 50,000 direct jobs and 110,000 indirect jobs, with an
additional 8,000 jobs to be created when the railway line starts full
operations.
A high speed commuter service that links Central Luzon to North Luzon and
passing through Metro Manila should benefit communities and local economies
all along the railway line.