More than 40 percent of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 segment stretching from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos, Bulacan has already been finished, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
According to the DOTr, the Tutuban to Malolos Segment of the Manila to Clark Railway project now has a 43 percent overall progress rate as of Wednesday, Feb. 17.
"No pandemic will prevent the continuous construction of PNR Clark Phase 1 along with the strict enforcement of safety and health protocols in the area," the DOTr assured.
According to the Department, bored piling works are continuously being done along with structural excavation works, installation of the first layer bottom bar, fabrication of precast segment, and girder launching, as well as the temporary construction of access roads, bridges, and facilities in the area.
The 38-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 1 is one of three parts of the North-South Commuter Railway Project of the DOTr under the administration's "Build, Build, Build" program which aims to make Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and CALABARZON connected by train.
Once operational, the project is expected to ease traffic in Manila, as well as trimmed down the travel time between Bulacan and Pampanga from an hour and 30 minutes to just 30 to 35 minutes.