The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is expanding the market to encourage more experienced partners from other countries and private sector to handle the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the 147 km-North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the country’s railway industry is open for business, adding that various countries with extensive rail networks have expressed interest in handling the NSCR O&M.
“We hope that those who are considering coming for the first time in the Philippines receive the message that we are open for business to anyone, from anywhere in the world,” Undersecretary Batan said during the 3rd leg of the NSCR Market Sounding event at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Manila on September 4, participated by 22 foreign and local companies.
Undersecretary Batan noted that mass rail systems are transformational and provide beneficial solutions to urban traffic congestion that takes so much time of the commuters.
“What we are working on is something that will change the lives of Filipinos, and as our very new Secretary has said, the goal is simple, it’s simply to give back time. This is the time that has been taken from millions of commuters in this country for several decades,” said Usec. Batan.
The NSCR will cut travel time from Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga to Calamba in Laguna to less than three hours from the current four hours of land travel.
The 35-station rail system is expected to generate 350,000 jobs during construction and operations, while serving 750,000 passengers daily at full operations.
