THE P777.5-billion North South Commuter Railway (NSCR), which will cross 28 cities in Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Calabarzon, is expected to be a catalyst for progress.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said NSCR is a 147-kilometer (km) rail transport route comprising 37 stations and 464 train cars.
The mega railway is expected to serve over a million passengers per day once fully operational, the agency said.
The NSCR encompasses three railway projects, including the PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban - Malolos)—a 38-km rail line that will connect Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan and reduce travel time from one hour and 30 minutes to just 30 minutes.
On Friday, the DOTr and Philippine National Railway Corporation (PNR) unveiled the first and longest eight-car train set for the Clark Phase 1 project.
The train set measures 160 meters in length and has an operational speed of 120 kilometers per hour, which can accommodate more than 2,228 passengers per train set.
Another segment of the NSCR is the PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark), a 53-km rail line that will trim down travel time from Malolos City, Bulacan to Clark, Pampanga from two hours to just 30 to 35 minutes, the DOTr said.
It will also feature the first-ever Airport Railway Express Service that will connect Makati City to Clark International Airport from the current two to three hours travel time to just 55 minutes.
A contract signing for an additional 304 train cars (38 8-car train sets) for the NSCR System was held on Friday, March 18, 2022.
PNR Calamba (Solis-Calamba), which is a 56-kilometer train line, is the southern line which will connect Metro Manila (Solis Street, Tondo) and Calamba, Laguna.
This train line will speed up travel time between the two points to one hour from the current four hours.
The NSCR is co-financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
"Move more people, make commuting more comfortable, convenient and efficient, and bolster economic progress and socio-economic opportunities--these are the long-term aspirations of the NSCR project for the Filipino people," the DOTr said.