{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"ADB approves US$1.45-bil final tranche for Philippines’ Malolos-Clark Railway Project","date":"2025-04-17 01:02:25","id":5801,"author":"","blurb":"","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2025/04/1744822964705_816356-adb-mcrp-ph-nr copy.jpeg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US$1.45 billion as the second and final tranche of its multitranche financing facility for the Malolos–Clark Railway Project (MCRP), a core element of the Philippine government’s flagship project to provide a safe, affordable, reliable and environment-friendly railway connecting northern and southern Luzon provinces to Metro Manila.
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\nThe MCRP is a 53.1-km segment of the 163-km North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR), which will reshape mass transportation in the country using disaster-resilient design and high-technology construction methods. ADB is also financing the southern leg of the NSCR system, the South Commuter Railway Project.

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“The Malolos–Clark Railway Project is one of ADB’s biggest project financing in the entire Asia and Pacific region. We are proud to partner with the government in making the vision of a world-class mass transportation system in the country a reality. This major transformative project will spur more investments, create jobs and contribute to sustaining the country’s growth momentum,” said ADB Philippines country director Pavit Ramachandran.

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The MCRP features three types of commuter service – regular commuter trains, express trains with stops at stations with high passenger demand, and the country’s first airport express trains connecting to Clark International Airport. It will help lower the country’s greenhouse gas emissions with the shift to mass transit from private vehicles.

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Aside from helping decongest Metro Manila, the MCRP will promote regional economic integration by creating linkages to the Central Luzon Corridor. The US$1.3-billion tranche 1 of the financing facility for the project was approved by ADB in 2019 and is now fully utilised.

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ADB will continue to assist in the implementation of the MCRP and provide livelihood support for vulnerable communities via technical assistance.

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The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is cofinancing the project. It will deliver the rolling stock and railway systems such as track, electrical and mechanical systems.

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Image: ADB

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The Philippines’ Department of Transportation (DOTr) has awarded the last three civil contracts for the South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP), the southern leg of the 147-km North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system.

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These include contract packages (CP) S-01, S-03A and S-03C, with a total cost of more than PHP52 billion. They feature a combined length of 14.9 km of elevated and ground-level rail tracks, revealed DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista. There will be six stations: Blumentritt in Manila, Buendia in Makati, EDSA, Senate in Pasay City, Bicutan in Taguig, and Sucat in Parañaque.

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The Blumentritt station will have an elevated pedestrian connection with LRT-1, while the EDSA station will also have an elevated pedestrian connection to MRT-3 Magallanes station, explained Mr Bautista. Meanwhile, the Senate station will be near the Senate subway station, and the Bicutan station will share the same platform with the Bicutan subway station.

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“With the signing of these three contract packages that cover a total of around 14.9 km of at-grade and railway viaduct structures, we will be a step closer to our goal of serving around 800,000 commuters daily by 2029,” said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, speaking during the contract signing ceremony held last Thursday (13 July).

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The CP S-01 and CP S-03C, awarded to Indonesia’s PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk and PT PP (Persero) Tbk joint venture, consist of a 1.2-km elevated railway structure and the Blumentritt station (CP S-01) as well as a 5.8-km elevated railway structure with the Bicutan and Sucat stations (CP S-03C). [Scroll down to watch the video of the signing ceremony.]

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The CP S-03A will be built by the Leighton Contractors (Asia) Ltd and First Balfour Inc joint venture. Leighton Asia is headquartered in Hong Kong, a part of Australia’s CIMIC Group, whereas First Balfour is based in the Philippines.

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In a separate press release, Leighton Asia shared the scope of work for the CP S-03A, which comprises building and civil engineering for approximately 7.9 km of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure, incorporating an elevated station at Buendia and at-grade stations at EDSA and Senate; plus the relevant mechanical, electrical, facade and other ancillary works.

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According to Leighton Asia, the CP S-03A will directly connect to the CP S-03B of the SCRP, which was earlier awarded to the company together with its joint venture partner First Balfour.

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“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with our valued client and partner at SCRP. Leighton Asia has extensive experience in rail, leveraging both our international expertise and local knowledge in the Philippines, where we have operated for more than two decades. We are honoured by the award of these packages and the recognition of our teams’ ability to safely deliver the works,” said Brad Davey, managing director of Leighton Asia.

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Juan Santamaria, executive chairman of CIMIC Group, added, “We are pleased to further contribute our railway capability and support the government’s strategic plans for the transport network around Manila, following our selection earlier this year to deliver another section of the railway. This important project will play a key role in the economic and urban growth of the Greater Capital Region.”

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*All images are screenshots of the contract signing ceremony video by Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) of the Philippines. The video can be viewed below.

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The Philippines’ Department of Transportation (DOTr) has signed four civil works contracts totalling US$1.87 billion for the South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP). The project, which will lay nearly 55 km of railway segment to connect Metro Manila with Laguna province, is being financed with US$4.3 billion in loans approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in June 2022.

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The South Commuter Railway Project is part of the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) network, which is ADB’s largest infrastructure financing in Asia and the Pacific to date. The Bank is also financing construction of the Malolos–Clark Railway Project, which comprises the northern segment of the railway network.

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“This project will open tremendous opportunities for economic integration across Metro Manila and neighbouring provinces and create a significant positive impact on the local economy,” said ADB’s deputy director general for Southeast Asia, Winfried Wicklein, during the contract signing ceremony held yesterday (6 Oct) at the Jose Rizal Monument in Calamba City.

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“It will strengthen the country’s economic recovery, create as many as 35,000 construction jobs and more than 3,000 permanent jobs during the railway operation, and improve access for residents of Laguna province to employment in Metro Manila.”

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When completed, the South Commuter Railway will provide affordable, safe and fast public transport, help ease road traffic congestion, and contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Philippines’ climate change agenda.

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It is estimated that the project will reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by over 284,000 t of carbon dioxide annually as commuters switch from road to rail transportation. More than 600,000 passengers are expected to use the entire NSCR system daily by 2040.

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Under the project, 18 elevated and at-grade stations will be built and provide safe access for all, including the elderly, women, children and people with disabilities. The South Commuter Railway will connect to the future Metro Manila Subway system and be designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. Travel time between Manila and Calamba using the railway will be reduced by over half, from 2.5 hours currently by road.

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ADB is funding the civil works for the railway viaduct, stations, bridges, tunnels and depot buildings, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding the rolling stock and railway systems.

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The project is one of the Philippines’ infrastructure flagship projects (IFP). Other IFPs financed by ADB include the Metro Manila Bridges Project approved in 2021, the EDSA Greenways Project in 2020, the Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project in 2016 and additional financing in 2020, the Malolos Clark Railway Project in 2019, and the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project in 2017.

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All images: Department of Transportation of the Philippines

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