PHILIPPINES: March 27 marked the last operation of passenger services for five years in the Manila metropolitan area in order to accelerate construction of the North-South Commuter Railway.
Philippine National Railways suspended its diesel-worked operations on the Governor Pascual – Manila Tutuban and Tutuban – Alabang routes. These now being replaced by buses running in broadly similar corridors.
The rail closure is expected to expedite the construction of the NSCR by eight months and save 15·2bn pesos from the scheme’s estimated 873·6bn pesos cost. It will also ensure the safety of passengers during the construction, according to local authorities.
The 147 km long, fully elevated standard-gauge NSCR is being built in the same Clark – Tutuban – Calamba corridor as PNR’s partly out-of-use 1 067 mm gauge route. The PNR line is largely at grade and features many level crossings.
The Asian Development Bank is financing the NSCR civil works and the Japan International Cooperation Agency is providing funding for the railway systems package on the northern section between Malolos and Clark, as well as the Manila Bluimentritt – Calamba section in the south. JICA is entirely financing works on the Malolos – Tutuban section as well as the supply of rolling stock.
Sumitomo Corp and JR East subsidiary J-TREC are supplying a fleet of 38 plus 13 eight-car Sustina EMUs for stopping services, which were awarded in two different tenders. Seven eight-car electric multiple-units for limited-stop express services are being supplied by CAF and Mitsubishi Corp.
NSCR is expected to carry 800 000 passengers a day. The first, Clark – West Valenzuela section is due to open for revenue service in the end of 2027.
