The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said large foreign groups submitted bids for additional construction packages for the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 2, which would complete a railway connection from Metro Manila to Clark, Pampanga.

In a statement, the DOTr said five international companies and a local firm submitted bids for the contract packages four and five of the PNR Clark Phase 2, which would pave the way for the country’s first airport express railway service.

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PNR Clark Phase 2 is a 53-kilometer segment from Malolos, Bulacan, to Clark, Pampanga, which forms part of the massive North South Commuter Railway (NSCR). The project is slated for “partial operations” by 2022.

The companies that submitted bids were Acciona (Spain), EEI Corp. (Philippines), GS Engineering & Construction (Korea), Posco Engineering & Construction (Korea), PT Waskita (Indonesia) and PT Wika (Indonesia).

Contract Package 4 runs 8-km and includes Clark International Airport Station. The Package 5 contract covers the NSCR’s Clark depot.

“The vibrant turnout of proponents yet again for Contract Packages 4 and 5 reflects the solid support and trust of the international infrastructure industry in the Duterte administration,” PNR general manager Junn Magno said in a statement.

PNR Clark Phase 2 will extend the project’s phase 1, which will run from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos.

The new line will reduce travel time between Malolos, Bulacan, and Clark International Airport to half an hour and from Buendia in Makati to Clark airport from two hours via car to just 55 minutes through the airport express. It aims to serve 340,000 passengers daily on its opening year.

PNR Clark Phase 2 is part of the P777.55-billion North-South Commuter Railway, one of the DOTr’s biggest infrastructure projects. The 147-km network will be financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The DOTr is eyeing to bid out more contract packages before the end of the year.

The bid submission for PNR Calamba Package 1 (1-km including Blumentritt Station) has been set on Nov. 5.

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Moreover, the department plans to launch a tender for the NSCR’s 304 Commuter Train Cars, 56 Airport Express Train Cars, and Electromechanical Systems within the last quarter of 2019.

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