Manila and Clark Airport to be connected by high speed rail in 2022
A railway connecting Metro Manila and Clark Airport could be up and running by 2022, addressing concerns for Metro Manila’s clogged roads and Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s congested runways.
AN HOUR FROM MANILA TO CLARK. The Manila-Clark Railway will cut down travel times between Clark Airport (and Clark Green City later on) by more than 60%./IMAGE build.gov.ph
Called the Malolos-Clark Railway Project, the Php 211.43-billion project will run from Malolos, Bulacan to Clark International Airport. This line will be linked up to the Tutuban-Malolos portion of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR), bridging the gap between Manila and Clark Airport.
Funding for the project will be by official development assistance (ODA) from Japan, as requested by the Department of Transportation. Funds for the project have been approved by the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee last June 1.
The project was approved along with two other big-ticket railway projects of the Duterte Administration, namely the Mindanao Railway Project’s Tagum-Davao-Digos (MRP-TDD) segment, and the South Line of the North South Commuter Railway.
PHASE ONE FUNDING SECURED. The Tagum-Digos-Davao segment of the Mindanao Railway already has secured funds for its construction./IMAGE build.gov.ph
The MRP-TDD segment has an estimated cost of Php 35.26 billion and will be funded by the government. It will link three of Mindanao’s fast-growing cities: Tagum, Digos, and Davao City. According to a statement from NEDA, “the MRP-TDD aims to provide more efficient, reliable, and affordable transportation to boost tourism, industry, and overall economic development in the area.”
The South Line of the NSCR, which costs Php 285 billion, will link up Tutuban to Los Baños, Laguna via a 72-kilometer railway, a 581-kilometer long-haul line to Sorsogon, and a third track that will connect the NSCR to the Port of Manila via Taguig’s FTI Complex.
These projects now await the signature of approval from President Rodrigo Duterte.
Sources: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business World, ABS-CBN News
