The Department of Transportation said the construction of the  Malolos-Clark extension of the North-South Commuter Railway System remains on track after awarding three contracts for the project. 

DOTr and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) awarded the three  remaining civil works contract packages for the Clark Phase 2 project, or the Malolos-Clark extension of the North-South Commuter Railway System.

The award of the three  contract packages completes the five civil works packages of the PNR Clark Phase 2 project. Contracts for Packages N-04 and N-05 were signed on  August 1, 2020.

The notice of award for Contract Package N-01, which covers  17 kilometers of elevated rail viaduct, seven  balanced cantilever bridges, and two station buildings in the towns of Malolos and Calumpit in Bulacan and in the towns of Apalit and Minalin in Pampanga,   was awarded to the Joint Venture of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd., Megawide Construction Corporation, and Dong-ah Geological Engineering Company Ltd.

Meanwhile, Contract Package N-02, which covers 16 kilometers of elevated viaduct and one station building in the towns of Minalin, Sto. Tomas, and San Fernando in Pampanga, was awarded to the Joint Venture of Acciona Construction Philippines and Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd.

Contract Package N-03, which covers 12 kilometers of elevated viaduct and one (1) station building in the towns of San Fernando, Angeles, and Mabalacat in Pampanga, was awarded to the Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd.

Meanwhile, PNR General Manager Junn Magno says that the progress for the PNR Clark Phase 2 remains on track. 

“As of August, the [PNR Clark] Malolos-Clark segment has an over-all progress rate of over 26 percent. It seems to quite catch-up with PNR Clark Phase 1 o ‘yung Tutuban to Malolos segment natin with over 40 percent,” Magno said. 

“We remain hopeful and we keep exerting not just double but triple effort to fast-track this project and at least make it partially operable before the end of President Duterte’s term,”he added. 

The project is scheduled to by completed in 2024. 

The PNR Clark Phase 2 project is the 53-km northern segment of the 147-km North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, which will run from Clark in Pampanga all the way to the town of Calamba in Laguna. The NSCR will have 37 stations, spanning 26 local government units, and connecting 3 regions. 

The project will feature the country’s first Airport Express service, which will slash travel time between the Clark International Airport in Pampanga and Makati City from more than two  hours by car, to just under one  hour via the Airport Express.