The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is preparing funding support for the South Commuter Railway Project.
The ADB said in a statement yesterday the funding support for the project, which is also called Philippine National Railways (PNR)-Calamba, is for consideration by the bank’s board of directors in the fourth quarter of the year.
In April, Kelly Bird, ADB Philippines country director, said the multilateral agency’s lending program for the Philippines this year will amount to $3.9 billion, which includes $1.75 billion for the South Commuter Railway Project.
The project is a key component of the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway system. It will cut travel time from Clark International Airport to Calamba City from more than four hours to just 1.5 hours.
The entire railway system is expected to carry up to one million passengers daily.
The project links to another ADB-funded railway, the Malolos-Clark Railway Project.
“We are pleased to partner with the Philippine government in this transformative project that will have substantial multiplier effects on the economy and regional development,” Bird said.
The government recently held successful biddings for civil works contracts for a combined 40.5 km. of viaduct structures for the South Commuter Railway Project.
ADB said the submission and opening of bids on July 14 to 15, which included contracts for elevated stations and a 22-hectare train depot, attracted a record 34 bids from a total of 23 local and international engineering and construction firms.
The multilateral agency provided advisory services on the bidding process under its Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility.
“We congratulate the Department of Transportation and the PNR on the successful bidding turnout, which reflects robust local and global interest and confidence in the Philippines’ Build, Build, Build infrastructure development program and for a strong post-pandemic economic recovery,” Bird said. – Angela Celis
