CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga — Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will co-finance the construction of the 69.5 kilometer Malolos to Clark International Airport segment of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) North Phase 2 Project.
“ADB will provide financing for the civil works of the structure of the elevated two-way railtracks. It will be built along the old routes of PNR,” Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy Batan said in a press briefing in Clark.
JICA, on the other hand, is completing the detailed engineering design for the Php211.5 billion project.
“JICA conducted a series of public hearings regarding the PNR North Phase 2 project,” Batan added.
PNR North 2 will be an electrified, fully elevated and a standard-gauge railway.
It is designed to ensure seamless interoperability for the entire Philippine railways system.
“We have coordinated with National Housing Authority on the relocation of about 1,000 families along the route. It includes all illegal structures in Malolos and Calumpit in Bulacan as well as Apalit, San Simon, Santo Tomas, San Fernando and Angeles in Pampanga,”
Phase 2 will complement the PNR North Phase 1 which runs from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos City.
Once completed by the first quarter of 2022, travel time from Malolos to Clark International Airport will be reduced from 2 hours to 30 minutes.
DOTr is now studying linking this to New Clark City in Tarlac.