The Philippines’ Department of Transportation has recently signed two contracts worth around USD 728 million for the flagship Malolos–Clark Railway Project, which is financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The railway project will see the construction of a environment-friendly railway connecting the northern provinces and the capital, Metro Manila, creating jobs, and boosting local economic activity.
The Malolos–Clark Railway is expected to be completed by 2024. It is expected that up to one million passengers will ride the train daily on this system by 2040. The project will cut the travel time between Clark and Manila from 2-3 hours by bus to 1 hour by train, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60,000 tons annually. The project will create about 24,000 construction jobs in the next three years and 14,000 more jobs related to the railway system’s operation.
The joint venture between Spain’s Acciona Construction Philippines, Inc. and EEI Corporation will build about 6.3 km of main railway lines and 1.6 km of depot access line, including an underground railway station at Clark International Airport. South Korea’s POSCO Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd., will erect a 33-hectare depot and a railway operations control center in Mabalacat, Pampanga. Three more contracts for civil works are set to be awarded later this year. The Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is cofinancing the project, will provide up to USD 2 billion in additional funding for the rolling stock and railway systems.
(Source: Asian Development Bank)
