PNR chief says railway work on track

In 2028, construction of the P873.62 billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project will be completed and the trains will be up and running.

Chairman Michael Ted Macapagal of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) made the announcement in a speech delivered at a meeting of the prestigious Rotary Club of Makati held at the New World Hotel last week.

“All human, financial, and technical resources of the PNR and its contractors are being made to bear on the flagship project of the current administration,” Macapagal said. “My boss, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista, is under orders to finish it on time.”

“Finding a solution to the traffic gridlock is a promise made by President Ferdinand Marcos, and we are determined to deliver on that promise,” the PNR chief said.

The first phase of the construction—from Clark to Valenzuela—is nearing completion. The civil works on the railway from Metro Manila to Alabang and from Alabang to Laguna will commence next month.

According to Macapagal, the NSCR and the Metro Manila Subway, which construction is being undertaken at the same time, will ease, if not totally eliminate, traffic woes in and out of the metropolis.”

The NSCR runs from Clark Global City in Pampanga to Calamba City in Laguna, a distance of 147 kilometers. Once operational, it will be able to transport 800,000 passengers a day. Travel time from one end of the line to the other will be cut in half, from eight to four hours. Of course, commute between stations along the way will be in a matter of minutes.

“A fleet of 60 electric multiple unit trains, each of which is at par with world standards in terms of safety and comfort, stand ready to serve commuters,” Macapagal said.

The PNR chair also said that the DOTr secretary watches with a keen eye the expansion of LRT and MRT, with their lines being extended and stations being built along the way. He added that DOTr exercises administrative control over PNR, LRT and MRT, and the Metro Manila Subway.

The entire DOTr team, Macapagal said, works within the strict timetable set by the president.

NSCR is only a start. The president is also eyeing the construction of the North Long Haul, the South Long Haul, the Panay Railway, North Mindanao Railway, and San Mateo Railway, all spanning a total of 1,024 kilometers.

A number of giant corporations from the United States and Japan have signified interest to finance the Mindanao and Bicol railways. DOTr is evaluating the proposals and studying its options.