The Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) Clark Phase 2 project is expected to produce more jobs and spur economic recovery in Central Luzon once completed, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) assured.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the PNR Clark Phase 2 of the North-South Commuter Rail Project (NSCR) already has a 32 percent overall progress rate as of Monday, Sept 20.
Once operational, Tugade said the 53 kilometer-rail line from Malolos, Bulacan to Clark, Pampanga will improve transport connectivity and mobility across the Central Luzon region and spur employment in various sectors.
"The DOTr has always aimed to revitalize the country’s economy. A transport infrastructure project like the NSCR will spur economic growth in Central Luzon, particularly the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga,” Tugade noted.
The Malolos to Clark rail line is also expected to cut travel time between Bulacan and Pampanga from at least two hours to just 30 to 35 minutes.
It will also feature the country's first-ever Airport Railway Express Service, which will connect Makati to the Clark International Airport in just 55 minutes, from the current two to three hours.
PNR Clark Phase 2 will have six train stations, namely, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, and Clark Airport that will include multimodal facilities to allow seamless transfer of commuters from public utility vehicles to trains.
The NSCR System is the single largest infrastructure project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and is the longest greenfield commuter railway project to be financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
It is also the biggest project to be undertaken so far under the "Build, Build, Build" Program of the administration with a total cost of P777.55-billion and one of the key infrastructure railway projects supported by Japan, aside from the Metro Manila Subway and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 rehabilitation projects.