Here’s the current progress of the PNR Clark Phase 2 Project

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is providing the public with yet another glimpse into Phase 2 of the ongoing Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark rail project, spanning Malolos in Bulacan and Clark in Pampanga.

Roads are being paved in preparation for the elevated rails [Image: Art Tugade FB page/Better Pinch Aerial Imaging]

Transport Secretary Art Tugade posted aerial photos of the project on his Facebook page, showing construction equipment and personnel paving roads in preparation for laying tracks along the route. These were set against scenic rural backdrops of vast fields and streams.

Once completed, the project aims to cut down travel time between Malolos and Clark from the present 90 minutes down to 35. Tugade says that more than 7,000 direct jobs have been opened by the project’s construction phase, with an additional 3,000 job opportunities available when it becomes operational.

The section is being funded by both the ADB and JICA [Image: Art Tugade FB page/Better Pinch Aerial Imaging]

Funded at a cost of $2.75 billion (more than Php 138.1 billion), the Malolos-Clark leg is considered the single biggest project financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the Philippines and Asia, co-funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The rail section is part of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project being undertaken by the DOTr and the PNR. Spanning 147 kilometers, the NSCR is a flagship government project that aims to link New Clark City and the New Clark International Airport in Pampanga with the city of Calamba in Laguna by 2025.    

Existing rail lines such as the MRT-3 will be linked to the NSCR in the future

A total of 36 stations will comprise the entire railway, which will utilize the old PNR railway lines. One of these is the 91-kilometer PNR Clark, a fully elevated rail line built over the defunct PNR North Main Line connecting Northern Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

The second component is the 56-kilometer PNR Calamba which uses the existing PNR Metro Commuter Line right-of-way between Tutuban in Manila and Calamba in Laguna. This section will have elevated, at-grade, and depressed sections, with future plans to connect it to LRT Lines 1 and 2, MRT-3, and the upcoming Metro Manila Subway.

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