Good news for the Filipino commuter.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed a contract with
Japanese firms for the production of trains for a new railway stretching from
Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan.
To lighten the travel woes of commuters, the new 37.6-kilometer
railway promises to cut travel time between Tutuban, Manila and Malolos,
Bulacan to just 35 minutes from the current 1.5 hours.
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| A model of the train that will be used in Tutban- Malolos railway. (photo credit to owner) |
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade led the formal contract
signing for the project with Japanese companies Sumitomo Corp and Japan
Transport Engineering Company.
The contract covers the production of 13 trainsets, with each
trainset having 8 cars or 104 coaches in total.
A prototype of the train, which
is designed to carry 2,242 passengers, was presented to the members of the
media.
"This is the reason why we
are all here today—to sign an agreement where the trains you see, the prototype
you see, will come into fruition by 2021. The first agenda is to come to an
agreement and principle that we will strive to work together so that we will
realize the Tutuban to Malolos route by the end of 2021," Tugade said.
DOTr said Contract Package 1,
signed on May 20, covers the construction of a depot and six train stations
namely: Solis in Tondo, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and
Bocaue.
Contract Package 2, meanwhile
was signed on January 23 and covers the construction of stations in Balagtas,
Guiguinto and Malolos.
The DOTr secretary said they
expect delivery of the first batch of trains for the Tutuban-Malolos segment by
the third quarter of 2021.
Tugade hopes the new railway
can be partially operational by the end of 2021, and for it to be fully
operational by 2022.
The DOTr said the construction
of all these train stations is already in "full swing."
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Report from ABS-CBN News
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