Third 8-car trainset for NSCR arrives, says DOTR

The third 8-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trainset for the North-South Commuter Railway (Malolos-Tutuban segment) has arrived, the Department of Transportation said.

Transportation Secretary Banoy Lopez said the trainset is currently undergoing the importation process at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and is scheduled to be transported to the Malanday Depot in Valenzuela City.

Lopez said the construction of the NSCR remains on track to help speed up travel for commuters.

“The President’s order is to fast-track the construction of the NSCR, and with this development, we will be able to deliver the project on time. We ensured that the trainsets underwent rigorous inspection and are of high quality to guarantee they can be used safely and properly by passengers,” Sec. Lopez stated.

The newly arrived trainset was purchased from the Japan Transport Engineering Company and Sumitomo Corporation as part of Contract Package 03: Rolling Stock (CP03). Meanwhile, another trainset for the NSCR is expected to arrive in the country in October 2026.

The DOTr targets to begin partial operations of the NSCR for the route from Valenzuela to Malolos, Bulacan in the 4th quarter of 2027. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already ordered the acceleration of the project’s construction so that commuters can use the NSCR line from Valenzuela to Clark in Pampanga before the end of his term.

The 147-kilometer NSCR system features 35 stations and will connect Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon. Once the entire NSCR becomes fully operational, the project is estimated to serve around 800,000 commuters daily.

Furthermore, the project will shorten travel time from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna to just two hours from the current four-hour commute.