DOTr's Dizon: Catch-up plan in place to fast-track PNR Malolos-Clark railway

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said Saturday he directed his department to fast-track the construction of the Malolos to Clark segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.

Dizon wants the Malolos-Clark Railway project to be used by the commuting public come 2028, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a news release on Saturday.

The DOTr added that the Transportation chief has already come up with a "catch-up plan" to ensure that the delays in the construction of the railway project will be addressed.

Once finished, the Malolos-Clark Railway Project is expected to cut the travel time from Metro Manila to the Clark International Airport to less than an hour, compared with current two to three hours by car or bus.

The project received $2.75-billion loan financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and $2 billion from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Also called PNR Clark Phase 2, the project forms part of the massive 147-kilometer NSCR project. It will have 35 stations and shall operate 464 train cars, with 58 eight-car train sets configuration.

The 54-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 2 or Malolos-Clark line will feature the country's first airport railway express service. — VDV, GMA Integrated News