North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project pushes forward

Here’s some good news for those who commute on a daily basis, and may even convince a good number of the car-driving population to switch their mode of transportation. Traveling from the north and south will become easier with the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system and its extension project.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and H.E. Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, Koji Haneda, signed the Exchange of Notes for the 109 kilometer North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project on the 21st of November, 2018, during the 6th Meeting of the Philippines-Japan High Level Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation.

The NSCR Extension Project was approved on the 15th of November, 2018, by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and is a part of the larger 147 kilometer NSCR System Project. The System Project was previously divided into three different parts, seamlessly integrating the 38 kilometer PNR Clark 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53 kilometer PNR Clark 2 from Malolos to Clark International Airport, and the 56 kilometer PNR Calamba from Solis to Calamba.

Total project cost is at P777.55 billion, and will consist of 36 stations, 58 eight-car trains (seven of which are airport express trains), and a double-track, fully elevated railway system that will connect Region III (Central Luzon), National Capital Region (NCR), and Region IV-A (CALABARZON). Once finished, it will also have seamless transfer stations with LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3, and the upcoming Metro Manila Subway. The system is estimated to serve about 340,000 passengers per day once it partially opens in 2022, and, when fully operational, will cater to more than half a million passengers per day in 2023.

The NSCR Extension Project will be co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This is all part of the thrust of the “Build, Build, Build” program, making this the largest loan for a single project that has been co-financed so far.