$1.7bn contracts awarded for ADB-funded Malolos–Clark Railway Project
Construction of the Asian Development Bank-funded Malolos–Clark Railway Project in the Philippines is expected to begin soon following the signing of three civil works contracts worth more than $1.7 billion.
The project, part of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, will construct a safe, affordable, reliable, and environment-friendly elevated railway connecting the northern provinces and the capital, Metro Manila. The project is cofinanced by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which will provide up to $2 billion in additional funding for the rolling stock and railway systems.
The Philippines’ Department of Transportation has so far awarded five civil works contracts for the project totaling $2.5 billion. The first two contracts were signed on 1 August 2020.
The first contract package of line — covering the construction of about 17km of elevated rail viaduct, seven bridges, and two railway stations — was awarded to the joint venture of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co and Dong-ah Geological Engineering Company, both based in South Korea, and the Philippines’ Megawide Construction Corporation.
Spain’s Acciona Construction Philippines and Daelim Industrial Co won the second contract package, covering the building and civil engineering works for about 16km of viaducts and one railway station. The third contract package, for the building and civil engineering works for 12km of viaducts and two railway stations, was awarded to Italian–Thai Development Public Company Limited.
The other two contract packages were awarded in August to a joint venture of Acciona Construction Philippines and EEI Corporation, andSouth Korea's POSCO Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. A sixth contract for the construction of the Blumentritt station of the railway line will undergo rebidding.
The Malolos–Clark Railway Project will cut the travel time between Clark in northern Pampanga province and Manila from two to three hours by bus to one hour by train, with a maximum rail speed of up to 160km per hour. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60,000 tonnes annually and boost economic activity in regional growth centers like Clark.
