The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has signed an agreement with NLEX Corp. for the seamless construction of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark phase 2 project that will cross above the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
Under the memorandum of agreement signed by DOTr, PNR and NLEX, columns for the PNR Clark project will be constructed in the shoulders and median island that will cross above SCTEX to allow seamless operations of both the expressway and the railway.
The agreement also involves the preparation of coordinated designs, traffic management, safety and security plans that are needed to ensure that the PNR Clark phase 2 is on track.
Giovanni Lopez, DOTr undersecretary, said the government has gained the private sector’s trust with the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program.
The 53-kilometer rail line that is part of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project will be connecting cities and municipalities in Central Luzon with Metro Manila, and will link the railway system with the country’s first airport express service going to Clark International Airport.
The project’s current overall progress is at 32.21 percent. The government is on track to start partial operation by the second quarter of 2023, and full operation in the third quarter of 2024, DOTr said.
Once operational, PNR Clark phase 2 will reduce travel time between Makati City and Clark airport to less than two hours through the airport express service.
Meanwhile, Luigi Bautista, NLEX president and general manager, said the company fully supports the NSCR project to help spur economic activity and revitalize the country’s provinces by enhancing the country’s transport approach to improve the mobility of Filipinos.
“The PNR Clark phase 2 is a monumental project that hopes to revitalize regions by improving mobility of people and advancing the transport of goods to and from the provinces. We at NLEX believe that our shared purpose of helping our country’s economy grow through infrastructure development has suited us for this partnership,” Bautista said.
