THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday that it is working hard to make the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) operational by the end of 2027.
“Building a modern transport system of this scale requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. With the firm backing of Congress and our project partners, we are pushing forward to ensure that Filipinos get a world-class, reliable, safe, and efficient commuter rail system,” Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said during the inspection of the project with members of the House of Representatives and executives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
JICA provides low-interest official development assistance loans and technical expertise to finance key aspects of the NSCR project, including rolling stock and core operating systems.
Lopez took the group to the main operations control center at Clark depot, the Balagtas Station in Bulacan, and the operations control center at Malanday depot in Valenzuela City.
Lopez said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed the DOTr to accelerate construction of the NSCR to ease the daily commute of residents in the northern and southern provinces bordering Metro Manila.
Stretching 147.26 kilometers across 30 local government units, the 35-station railway system will provide a direct link between Clark International Airport in Pampanga and Calamba.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the project would undergo several phases.
“We will open in phases. Our first phase will be called Partial Operations 1 — the first 27 kilometers and seven stations will open by the end of 2027. Next year, we will already see trains running here. Our Partial Operations 2, which will extend from Malolos to Clark Airport, covers an additional 53 kilometers and will open between the end of 2028 and early 2029,” Batan said.
“So by 2029, you can already take a train from Clark Airport all the way to Malanday in Valenzuela,” Batan added.
House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects chairman Valenzuela City Rep. Kenneth Gatchalian vowed legislative support for such projects.
“One thing I can assure you everyone in the department is that we are here to support. We are all here to help and to ensure that we achieve our target dates,” Gatchalian said. ARLIE CALALO
“On behalf of the Flagship Programs and Projects Committee, we want to make sure that all the projects — especially this major flagship project that will help many people and essentially connect North and South Luzon — are fulfilled by 2033,” Gatchalian added.
