Third batch of 8-car trainset for NSCR arrives in PH

The third batch of the eight-car electric multiple unit trainset for the Malolos-Tutuban segment of the North-South Commuter Railway has arrived in the Philippines, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.

The DOTr said the trainset is undergoing the importation process of the Bureau of Customs after arriving from Japan and will soon be transferred to the Mandalay Depot in Valenzuela City.

"Ang utos ng Pangulo, pabilisin ang konstruksyon ng NSCR, and with this development, maide-deliver natin ang proyekto on time. Tiniyak natin na dumaan sa masusing inspeksyon ang mga trainset at dekalidad ang mga ito para masigurong ligtas at maayos itong magagamit ng mga pasahero," said Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez in a statement.

(The President's order is to accelerate the construction of the NSCR, and with this development, we will be able to deliver the project on time. We ensured that the trainsets underwent thorough inspection and are of high quality to guarantee they can be used safely and smoothly by passengers," said Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez in a statement.)

The DOTr is aiming to start the partial operations of the Valenzuela-Malolos, Bulacan route of the NSCR by the 4th quarter of 2027.

Further, another batch of trainset is expected to arrive on October.

The 147-kilometer NSCR project will run across 35 stations connecting Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon. The DOTr projects that it will lessen the travel time from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna from four hours to two hours.

The NSCR is expected to serve 800,000 commuters daily once it becomes fully operational, the DOTr said. —VAL, GMA News