Philippines Department of Transportation (DOTr) has awarded Acciona the contract package Nº2 of the South Commuter Railway (SCR) project, which involves the construction of 7.9 km of rail tracks on a viaduct, as well as three stations (España, Santa Mesa and Paco), in Manila.
The contract, worth EUR 480 million, is part of a 54.6-km railway with 18 stations that will connect the Philippine capital with Calambá (Laguna). The railway is co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In October 2022, the DOTr signed four civil works contracts totalling USD 1.87 billion for the SCRP which is financed with USD 4.3 billion in loans approved by ADB in June 2022. The ADB financing is provided into three traches of which USD 1.75 billion in 2022 and the same amount in 2024, while USD 800 million will be provided in 2026.
For the project, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing a USD 1.6 billion cofinancing for the procurement of rolling stock and railway systems.
The South Commuter Railway (SCR) project covers the construction of the line linking Blumentritt in Manila and the city of Calamba, 50 km south of Maniala. The line is a section of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) which will provide improved connectivity in the public transport network by connecting with all existing LRT and MRT lines in Metro Manila.
USD 6.4 billion is the total value of the SCRP project which is expected to be completed in 2028.
The government is also constructing the 37 km Tutuban – Malolos section and the 53.1 km Malolos – Clark Railway. In 2020, Acciona, in consortium with Korean group Daelim also won a EUR 560 million contract for the construction of a 16 km second section of the railway line that will connect the city of Malolos with Clark International Airport in the Philippines. The works are expected to be completed in four years. In 2020, Acciona also won a EUR 330 million contract covering the construction of a 6.5 km rail section access to Clark International Airport.
The new rail line will reduce the commute between Manila and Clark International Airport to one hour. Currently, the trip can only be made by bus on public transport with a minimum travel time of more than three hours. Greenhouse gas emissions from these trips will be reduced by more than 60,000 tons annually.
The North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) known as the Clark–Calamba railway is a 163 km rail system to be constructed in Luzon Province which will provide increased connectivity. The project is constructed in three main sections covering the 53 km Malolos – Clark northern section between Clark and Calumpit, the 37.6 km Malolos – Tutuban central section and the 55.6 km NSCR Solis – Calamba extension between Blumentritt and Calamba.
In February 2023, the government of Philippines and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed two loans totalling USD 2.8 billion for the construction of Malolos – Tutuban and the Clark extension (Clark – Calamba railway section).
The entire project includes a connecting line to the planned Metro Manila Subway system, which will improve connectivity by operating direct trains for passengers travelling from Calamba to Bonifacio Global City, Ortigas and Quezon City along the Metro Manila Subway. The new railway line will provide affordable, reliable and safe public transport, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut the journey time by half to less than one hour.
The underground metro system in Manila covers a 33 km line linking Valenzuela City in the northern part of Manila metropolitan area and Pasay City in south, crossing through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
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