An artist's rendition of one of the stations of the North-South Commuter Railway. (Courtesy of DOTr)
MANILA – Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday ordered the fast-tracking of the Metro Manila–Bulacan portion of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
During an inspection of the NSCR project site, Dizon said the rail line would be a big boon to commuters as it would reduce travel time from Metro Manila to Malolos, Bulacan to a 30-minute train ride.
“Kabilang din sa mga istasyon ng tren ang iba pang mga bayan sa Bulacan tulad ng Marilao, Meycauayan, Bocaue, Balagtas at Guiguinto –at magpapatuloy hanggang Clark sa Pampanga (Other train stations are in the towns of Marilao, Meycauayan, Bocaue, Balagtas at Guiguinto –and this would go all the way to Clark, Pampanga),” he said.
The 147-kilometer NSCR will connect Metro Manila to Pampanga in the north and Laguna in the south.
According to the NSCR website, its airport express train is capable of travelling up to 160 kilometers per hour and will only take only one hour to travel from Buendia in Makati City to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
By the year 2045, the rail service is expected to serve 1 million passengers daily using 304 train cars and create 365,000 jobs. (PNA)
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