Latest news with #NSCR
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Clearing ops pave way for North-South Commuter Railway construction
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has intensified clearing operations as the long-delayed construction of a segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project began on Tuesday, with 17 more stores left to be dismantled to make way for the railway. According to a Balitanghali report by Joseph Morong, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and Manila Mayor Francisco 'Isko' Moreno led the inspection, emphasizing the need to speed up construction of the mass transport project. The NSCR stations' construction has been stalled for nearly two years due to right-of-way payment issues and site obstructions. Dizon said only 17 more stores remain to be dismantled, with each owner set to receive P100,000 as compensation. He also stressed the project design was revised to avoid demolishing nearby houses, while widening a creek in the area to help mitigate flooding. 'Kapag nagtulungan ang national government at local government, umaandar ang mga proyekto. Kampante tayo ngayon na finally aandar, bibilis na 'yung proyekto,' Dizon said during the start of clearing works along Old Antipolo Road. (When national government and LGUs work together, projects move. We are confident that finally we could proceed, the project will move faster.) Dizon noted that the earlier delays, caused by right-of-way disputes, led to a P100 billion budget cut for the railway. He called on lawmakers to prioritize funding for major public infrastructure such as train systems to avoid further setbacks.\ Meanwhile, the DOTr assured commuters that the supply shortage of beep cards is being addressed in coordination with the private company producing them. Moreno, for his part, assured full support from the Manila City Government for projects that benefit commuters. 'On behalf of the people of Manila, we are grateful to the President na ma-implement na ang project, at natutuwa kami na may bagong DOTr Secretary na mabilis ding kumilos kaya lahat ng proyekto na makabubuti sa ating mga kababayan, the City Government will support it 101 percent,' he said. ('On behalf of the people of Manila, we are grateful to the President the project will be implemented, and we are happy that we have a new DOTr Secretary who moves fast so for projects that would benefit the public, the City Government will support it 101 percent.) The NSCR Project is part of the government's flagship infrastructure program aimed at improving mass transit connectivity across Metro Manila and nearby provinces. It was originally targeted to operate in 2021. Once it partially operates by 2028, the MMSP will cut the travel time from Valenzuela City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport to only 41 minutes. Likewise, the 147-kilometer NSCR is also encountering right-of-way issues, particularly in the area of San Fernando, Pampanga. — Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
16-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Marcos OKs privatization of North-South Commuter Railway ops
The government's plan to privatize the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the big-ticket North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, which is now under construction, has been approved by the President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. The President-chaired Economic Development Council (formerly the National Economic and Development Authority Board) has approved, during its meeting on July 15, the O&M of NSCR under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement. In February 2023, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced it is intending to hand over the O&M of NSCR along with the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) to the private sector through competitive bidding. The total estimated cost of the O&M contract is P229.32 billion, according to the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev). The entire NSCR is a 147.26-kilometer elevated railway line aimed at easing travel across three regions in Luzon, namely Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and CALABARZON. The project is already in advanced stages of construction with pre-operations expected to begin in March 2026 until July 2027. The DEPDev said the concession period for partial operations of NSCR Phase 1 —from Clark International Airport (CIA) to Valenzuela involving 13 stations— is targeted to commence in December 2027 until September 2028. Meanwhile, the concession period for the partial operations of Phase 2 —from Nichols with additional segments from Alabang to Calamba involving 32 stations— will run from October 2028 until December 2031. Full operations are expected to begin in January 2032, it said. 1M commuters The railway project is expected to benefit as many as 800,000 passengers daily in its opening year, eventually serving up to one million commuters, the Economic Planning Department said. NSCR will feature 35 stations, including 31 elevated, three at-grade, and one underground. Its depots will be located in Clark, Valenzuela, and Calamba to support maintenance and operations. The railway project is planned to offer two types of train services —commuter trains, with 51 train-sets each capable of carrying 2,242 passengers and 'Limited Express' trains with seven train-sets accommodating 386 passengers each. The two train services are planned to have travel speeds of 120 to 130 kilometers per hour, reducing travel time from Clark to Calamba to around three hours via commuter service from four hours, while the limited express service will cut travel time from Clark to Alabang to around two hours. 'The North-South Commuter Railway Project is a major step toward faster, greener, and more connected transportation for Filipinos as the system will also be integrated with the Metro Manila Subway. At the same time, it will promote green and commercial development along its corridors,' said DEPDev Secretary and ED Council vice chairperson Arsenio Balisacan. The ED Council also tackled the midterm update of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028. The midterm update of the PDP 2023-2028 refines and recalibrates the country's key policies, strategies, programs, and legislative priorities to ensure alignment with evolving economic conditions and development goals, according to the DEPDev. The DEPDev said it spearheads the updating process of the Plan at the midpoint of each administration to assess progress and make necessary adjustments to targets and interventions. 'We have learned a lot of lessons from our past experiences and many of these have been reflected in our recent efforts. We will continue to stay on our course to sustain our momentum for the second half of this administration,' said Balisacan. Following the discussions from the Council meeting, DEPDev will be receiving comments from various agencies to finalize the updated Plan, which will be released to the public by the end of July 2025. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
