Delays in the turnover of the 36-hectare land for the Clark depot has set back the completion of Clark Phase 2 segment (Malolos-Clark) of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) by a over a year, from June, 2025 to October, 2024.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista made the statement during Monday, Jan. 23, site inspection in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
“This is a very important part of the NSCR, considering the operations control center of the project will be located here. The operations control center is the heart of the operations,” he maintained.
Contractor POSCO Engineering & Construction cited that delays in turnover of the 36-hectare site for the depot has set back the project completion schedule. Before the government turned over the site to POSCO, several fruit-bearing trees needed to be cut down.
As of December 31, 2022, more than 33 percent of the planned construction has been completed.
POSCO will construct 48 buildings and facilities at the depot site.
The Clark Depot has 33 stabling tracks to serve as parking area for the trains and 12 other tracks to access the maintenance facilities.
It's vital to work with the contractor to complete the project “on time” according to Bautista.
"The DOTr will work closely with the contractor, so we can fix problems and address issues,” he pointed out, vowing to finish the project within the timeframe provided by the Marcos administration.
Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the PNR Clark Phase 2 is the second leg of the NSCR.
It will link cities and municipalities in Central Luzon with Metro Manila, spurring economic activity in nearby provinces.
Once completed, the 53-kilometer rail line will cut travel time between Malolos, Bulacan and Clark, Pampanga from 1.5 hours to 30 minutes.
It will also feature the country’s first-ever Airport Railway Express Service connecting Makati to the Clark International Airport in 55 minutes.