The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has pushed back the target completion of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 2 project from October 2024 to mid-June 2025 due to a delay in the turnover of the property.
During Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista’s site inspection Monday at the Clark Depot of the PNR Clark Phase 2, the project contractor POSCO Engineering & Construction cited the delayed turnover of the land as the cause for the extension in the project’s completion.
Thus, the DOTr revised the target completion to June 2025 from the original schedule of October 2024.
But Bautista assured the DOTr is working with the contractor to thresh out issues surrounding the project and to complete the project on time barring any hinges.
“This is a very important part of the NSCR (North-South Commuter Rail), considering the operations control center of the project will be located here. The operations control center is the heart of the operations,” Bautista said at the site visit at the PNR Clark Phase 2 in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
Bautista stressed the importance of working with the contractor to complete the project “on time” and to prevent any delays.
“It is important that we complete this as planned and on time. I know that there are issues that need to be resolved. The DOTr will work closely with (the contractor), so we can fix problems and address issues (about the project),” he said.
The transport chief vowed to finish the project within the timeframe provided to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We promised the President that we will finish the project as agreed on the timeline that we set. I just want to see to it that we work together and finish this project on time,” Bautista said.
Funded by the Asian Development Bank, PNR Clark Phase 2 is the second leg of the NSCR project, which aims to link cities and municipalities in Central Luzon with Metro Manila and help spur economic activity in nearby provinces.
Once completed, the 53-kilometer rail line is expected to cut travel time between Malolos, Bulacan and Clark in Pampanga from 1.5 hours to just 30 minutes. It will also feature the country’s first-ever Airport Railway Express Service, which will connect Makati to Clark International Airport in just 55 minutes.
Before the 36-hectare site was turned over by the government to POSCO, several fruit-bearing trees were cut down, causing the delay.
POSCO will construct 48 buildings and facilities at the depot site.
The Clark Depot has 33 stabling tracks to serve as a parking area for the trains and 12 other tracks to access the maintenance facilities.
As of the end of December 2022, the project was more than 33 percent complete, according to DOTr.
