Construction of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Project’s first phase, which will connect Tutuban, Manila and Malolos, Bulacan, has officially started following the groundbreaking rites on February 15.
Expected to be operational by 2021, Phase 1 of the PNR Clark Project is a 38-kilometer railway that will have 13 train sets, each set to be composed of eight cars. The trains will run at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour.
PNR Clark Phase 1 will have a total of 10 stations, namely, Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos station, as well as house a depot on a 14-hectare lot in Valenzuela City.
The first phase is expected to reduce travel time between Manila and Bulacan from one hour and 45 minutes to just 35 minutes, serving approximately over 300,000 passengers daily. It will seamlessly integrate with PNR Clark Phase 2 going to Clark, Pampanga and with PNR South Commuter going to Calamba, Laguna, forming one integrated commuter railway system.
Also called the North-South Commuter Railway project, the PNR Clark project is envisioned to serve commuters traveling to, from, and within the National Capital Region, Region III, and Region IV-A.
PNR Clark Phase 1 was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority board in February 2015, and takes the place of the defunct Northrail project.
The ground-breaking followed the contract signing between the Department of Transportation and the project contractor, Japanese company Sumitomo Mitsui Construction, on January 23, 2019. According to transport undersecretary for railways Timothy John Batan, as of February 15, about 91% of the PNR Clark Phase 1 alignment has already been cleared.
