Two contracts for North-South Commuter Railway signed

The ceremonial signing for two contract packages for the construction of the South Commuter section of the North-South Commuter Railway Project was held in Malacañang last Thursday, led by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

The two packages, S-02 and S-03B, cover approximately 14 kilometers of the south commuter section, running through Metro Manila, above and below ground. The civil contract package for the construction of 7.9 kilometers of railway viaduct structure, including three elevated stations, is part of S-02. The stations will be the Espana Station, Sta Mesa Station, and the Paco Station. The Joint Venture of Acciona Construction Philippines and DM Consunji was awarded the P28-billion contract.

S-03B, on the other hand, covers the civil engineering, tunnel and building works for approximately 6.1 kilometers of railway, including the construction of the FTI station and tunneling works to connect to the Metro Manila Subway Project Senate Station. The Leighton Contractors Asia Limited and First Balfour Inc. joint venture was awarded the contract for a total amount equivalent to over P23.9 billion.

The contracts were signed on behalf of the government by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. In his speech, Marcos stated that the construction of all phases of the North-South Commuter Railway system will soon be in full swing. He added that the massive railway system is expected to provide "an efficient and comfortable transport alternative," connecting Pampanga to Manila and then to Laguna.

Upon completion, the 147.26-kilometer railway mega-project will be a massive boost to the overall transportation infrastructure of the country and benefit up to 800,000 passengers per day, according to Marcos.