PNR’s Clark railway project chugs ahead

The 53-kilometer Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 2 project gained headway following the awarding of five contract packages.

In a statement on Sun-day, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the progress in Clark Phase 2 showed that the administration’s massive infrastructure development was pushing through despite its continuous battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

“Last month, we were full of enthusiasm as the first contracts of the PNR Clark Phase 2 were signed despite the pandemic. Ang sabi ko noon (I said before that) it is our way of saying that the Build, Build, Build [program] continues,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement.

The latest contract was awarded to the Italian-Thai Development Public Co. Ltd. for the construction of a 12-kilometer viaduct and one station building in Pampanga as part of the Malolos-Clark extension of the North-South Commuter Railway System.

The firm was also behind the development of Thailand’s Bangkok Transit System.

Last week, Megawide Construction Corp. and Korean partners Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. and Dong-ah Geological Engineering Co. Ltd. clinched the P28-billion contract to build a 17-kilometer viaduct and elevated station buildings in Calumpit in Bulacan and Apalit in Pampanga.

In August, the DoTr signed the first two contracts for the project amounting to nearly P38 billion. Acciona Construction Philippines and EEI Corp. will handle Phase 4, while Posco Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd., will handle Phase 5.

“What we see here is the coming together of an impressive league of the biggest and the best players in the construction industry here and abroad, funded by the Asian Development Bank with its largest-ever financing package for a single project, to build the Philippine government’s single largest project in history,” Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said.

PNR Clark Phase 2, which will run from Malolos in Bulacan to Clark in Pampanga, is part of the government’s massive P777.5-billion North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project.

Once operational in 2022, it can handle 340,000 passengers, the department earlier said.

Travel time from Buendia in Makati City to the Clark International Airport will be cut to just 55 minutes from the current two hours via the expressways.

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Article and Photo originally posted by The Manila Times last September 28, 2020 and written by Lisbet K. Esmael.