The Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark phase 1 project is on track to be fully operational by 2024, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Arthur Tugade, DOTr secretary, said the project is “all moving forward” and currently has a 45.82 percent overall progress rate. It will be completed in the second quarter of 2024.
Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the PNR North 1 project is a 38-kilometer railway that will connect Tutuban Station in Manila to Malolos, Bulacan.
PNR North 1 has 10 stations which will cut across the cities of Manila, Caloocan and Valenzuela and the municipalities of Meycuayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto and Malolos in Bulacan.
Once completed, the project is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily and reduce travel time from Malolos to Tutuban from an hour and 30 minutes to 35 minutes.
At least 7,500 workers are employed during the construction of the project, while 2,000 additional jobs will be made available once the project becomes operational, said Tugade.
At least 200 former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are currently employed in the project, while more jobs will be opened prioritizing more OFWs and displaced public utility vehicle drivers and conductors, he added.
Tugade recently inspected the site to show that the project is continuing and moving forward.
He said the project’s training simulator will arrive between September and October, while the trains will arrive in December.
PNR North 1 is part of the massive North-South Commuter Railway project. – Myla Iglesias
