Philippines signs contracts for commuter rail project

The North-South Commuter Railway is a 147km designed to halve travel time from Clark Airport to Calamba in Laguna to two hours. It will include 35 stations and carry 800,000 passengers daily.

In a ceremony attended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Leighton-First Balfour JV signed the contract for Package S-03B (CP S-03B). The contract, which was awarded in February, includes the civil engineering, tunnel and building works for approximately 6.1km of the railway, with 4.7km underground. The route will run alongside a section of the South Luzon Expressway.

It also includes the construction of the FTI Station, tunnelling works to connect to the Metro Manila Subway Project Senate Station, and mechanical, electrical, façade and other ancillary works.

Construction is due to start late this year and be completed by 2029.

Acciona-DMCI joint venture also signed the contract to build a 7.9km elevated railway from Blumentritt to San Andres Bukid in Manila.

Both contracts are part of the nearly 56km-long South Commuter Railway Project designed to ease road congestion around Manila and connect the city to Calamba.