THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is widening the playing field for the operations and maintenance concession of the country’s biggest railway project, the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), to draw in global expertise and stronger private sector participation.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said several countries with extensive railway experience have expressed interest in the NSCR concession.
A total of 22 local and foreign companies attended the third leg of the NSCR Market Sounding meetings on Thursday at the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Mandaluyong.
Market sounding is an interaction about a project, in which potential investors are gauged for their interest, and to gather feedback on the project’s size, pricing and structure.
“We are open for business to anyone, from anywhere in the world,” Batan said. “We are working on something that will change the lives of Filipinos. The goal is simple: to give back time that has been taken from millions of commuters in this country for decades.”
Once fully operational, the NSCR will cut travel time between Clark International Airport in Pampanga in the north and Calamba, Laguna, in the south to under three hours, from the current four-hour land trip.
The 35-station commuter line, which stretches across Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) is expected to create around 350,000 jobs during construction and operations.
It is also projected to serve up to 750,000 passengers daily at full capacity.
The DOTr is positioning the NSCR as a flagship project under the government’s “Bagong Pilipinas” thrust, banking on international partnerships to ensure its sustainability and efficiency.
