The Department of Transportation urged the Japanese contractor of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) phase 1 to accelerate construction work on the project, which is targeted to be operational by 2026.
“I call on Hitachi to complete the project on time. We hope we will do this even earlier. We will work closely so that all issues are addressed so that we complete this project on time,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said during the signing of the Contract Package 04 (CP04) of NSCR phase 1.
Construction of NSCR phase 1 CP04 is slated to start in March this year.
Once fully operational, thousands of Filipinos are expected to benefit from the project with ease of mobility and accessible connectivity, Bautista said.
“This part of the NSCR will carry the most number of passengers of the NSCR project while extending his gratitude to the government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the contractor Hitachi for supporting the rail infrastructure,” he added.
The Japanese government likewise expressed its commitment to complete the project.
CP04 of NSCR Phase 1, which comprises 10 stations, has a total route length of 34.91 kilometers connecting Solis in Tondo, Manila and Malolos, Bulacan. It will be eventually connected to the NSCR-Extension Project, which passes from Calamba, Laguna to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
Designed to operate under a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, the rail line will reduce travel time between Makati City and Clark International Airport in less than two hours through the Airport Express Service, while servicing 350,000 passengers daily.