Contracts for Manila-Calamba railway project eyed to be awarded mid-2021 —DOTr

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is targeting to award the contract packages for the Phase 3 of the North-South Commuter Railway project connecting Metro Manila and Calamba, Laguna within the middle of 2021.

During the state-run PTV’s Laging Handa briefing on Tuesday, Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said procurement for the project is ongoing.

“Yun naman pong Manila papuntang Calamba ongoing po ang procurement natin. ‘Yan po ay iaaward natin by the middle of this year,” he said.

The Phase 3 of NSCR is a 54.6-kilometer railway project from Blumentritt Road in Manila all the way to Calamba in Laguna.

Contract packages for the project include the following:

• CP S-02: Viaduct and elevated Stations at España, Sta. Mesa and Paco
• CP S-03a: Viaduct and at-grade alignment, at grade station at EDSA and elevated station at Buendia
• CP S-03b: Viaduct, tunnel, and at-grade alignment, one semi-underground station at FTI, one at-grade station at Senate, and two elevated stations at Bicutan and Sucat
• CP S-04: Viaduct and elevated Stations at Alabang and Muntinlupa
• CP S-05: Viaduct Structure and stations at San Pedro, Pacita, Binan and Santa Rosa
• CP S-06: Viaduct and elevated Stations at Cabuyao, Banlic and Calamba
• CP S-07: 22-hectare depot with buildings and facilities at Banlic

The Manila-Calamba railway project is co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The project is seen to provide improved connectivity in the public transport network by connecting with all LRT and MRT lines in Metro Manila, according to a project overview published on the ADB’s website.

It also includes a connecting line to the planned Metro Manila Subway, which will improve connectivity by operating direct trains for passengers travelling from Calamba to Bonifacio Global City, Ortigas and Quezon City along the Metro Manila Subway.

The Manila-Calamba railway project forms part of the 163-kilometer NSCR, which is aimed to ease road congestion in the Philippine capital and its nearby provinces and reduce annual traffic-related economic costs, totaling $18 billion in Metro Manila alone.

It comprises Phase 1, which is the Tutuban to Malolos, Bulacan line and Phase 2, the Malolos to Clark, Pampanga line.

Batan said Phase 1 is already at a full-pledge construction stage while mobilization is ongoing for the construction of Phase 2. -MDM, GMA News