Manila-Clark bullet train pushed

[rollyic]

Manila-Clark bullet train pushed

By Ric Sapnu, The Philippine Star
Posted at 01/06/2014 9:22 AM | Updated as of 01/06/2014 9:36 AM
MALOLOS CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC) is eyeing the construction of the first rapid train system in the country patterned after the bullet train of Japan, Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado said yesterday.

Alvarado said the RDC would either push for the bullet train system or revive the mothballed Northrail project that would link Metro Manila to the Clark international airport in Pampanga.

He said the proposed bullet train system would boost the economy of Central Luzon, particularly in the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Aurora.

“The lifestyle of the people in Central Luzon will be revved up and travel time will be lessened,” the governor said.

If the plan pushes through, the train will have coaches for economy class, business class and executive class aside from its freight lines.

During a meeting with RDC officials in Bulacan recently, Alvarado said that Deo Manalo, director of project development service of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), disclosed that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had expressed interest in rehabilitating the Northrail project.

He said the RDC would recommend to President Aquino to make the bullet train project a priority this year.

Other railway projects underway

Meanwhile, the DOTC is confident it would get the green light from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to pursue two major railway projects in Luzon, connecting Cagayan in the north and Bicol in the south.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the feasibility studies for the proposed 900-kilometer Integrated Luzon Railway (ILR) and the 90-km commuter rail link (also known as airport express rail) would be completed early this year.

“If we get NEDA’s clearance on both integrated Luzon railway and the commuter railway, we can bid that out early this year,” Abaya said.

He said that JICA is helping the DOTC to determine if the railway projects could be placed under the government’s public-private partnership scheme.

“We are about to finish the feasibility study and JICA is helping us on this. We will present to NEDA board within the first semester of the year to get the procurement on this much-awaited project under way,” he added.

Abaya said CPCS Transcom Ltd. of Canada is set to complete the feasibility study for the ILR that would run from Cagayan in Isabela to Sorsogon in Bicol.

The proposed railway will cover the entire north and south networks of the Philippine National Railways (PNR). The north network runs from Manila to La Union, including a line from Tarlac to San Jose, Nueva Ecija, and a possible extension to Cagayan. The south network traverses from Manila to Legaspi City, including a line from Calamba to Batangas City.

Another option being considered for the ILR, Abaya said, is to put up a connecting rail to Clark airport as the international gateway in Pampanga is being developed under a twin airport system.

On the other hand, the commuter rail would run from Malolos in Bulacan to Calamba, Laguna.

Abaya said the proposed elevated commuter rail would be built above the existing rail of the PNR. Initial cost of the commuter rail is about $5 billion.

“There is the integrated Luzon railway and the commuter rail, which is elevated. Instead of building high-speed rail, you use the same rail to have an airport link. But at least you have a decent rail system that could serve the airport,” the DOTC chief said.

Abaya said it would take five to six years to complete both projects.

“So at least from our end, we will get this going and hopefully the people who would replace us at the DOTC will find this a viable project that will serve the people,” he added.

Dr. Vic Abola, an economics professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific, is urging President Aquino to transfer the railway and mass transport functions to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from the DOTC.

“We need seamless inter-modal land transportation system. These should not only be designed and built on a parallel basis but on an efficient seamless transfer from one mode to another,” Abola said.

He added that mass transport facilities would help address the worsening traffic situation in the country, particularly in Metro Manila.

A study conducted by JICA stressed the need to put up at least 200 kilometers of railroad and over 100,000 kilometers of roads to solve traffic congestion in the metropolis. – With Lawrence Agcaoili

Manila-Clark bullet train pushed | ABS-CBN News

sana naman matuloy na.

[falken]

Manila-Clark bullet train pushed | ABS-CBN News

sana naman matuloy na.

Puro proposal naman dito satin. What happened to the Northrail project?

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[Sindong]

Puro proposal naman dito satin. What happened to the Northrail project?

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Kinakalawang na ang mga bakal sir pati yung mga property fence nawala na or nanakaw na.

pati mga illegal establishment dumarami na din along Malolos.

[vinj]

^ Sayang talaga yung efforts to rid the settlers sa railway. Before they do that bullet train, just get the northrail running and let's see where else we can go from there.

[somniantis86]

Afaik, the northrail project was cancelled. Ipaparebid daw ulit.

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[Lew_Alcindor]

Maganda yan kung matutuloy.
Pero, let us be real about it.
We absolutely have no expertise to run and maintain such kind of transportation system.

Yung simpleng MRT, LRT at PNR nga natin eh third world class lang eh tapos magtatayo tayo ng bullet train? Hindi ba pwedeng yung simpleng train system in and out of Metro Manila muna?

Ang sa akin lang dapat long term ang plano dito. Develop the manpower like engineers to maintain both the rails and the trains. Then kung papalarin, pwede din i-develop yung industry ng coaches at steel industry. Daming ancillary industries ang pwedeng umusbong sa railway system. Kaso hindi pwedeng from almost nothing to bullet train agad agad.

[Manilablock]

Dedicated bus lane at cargo trucks lang muna, para ung nabawing right of way sa mga squaters ay gawing kalsada, then saka ipatong ang riles.

[somniantis86]

I can personally say na mismong mga engineers sa dotc technical working group ay corrupt na. They bend the specs in the terms of reference pra yung preferred bidder lang nila ang hindi mahirapan at magqualify. At the end of the day, di man lang nila inisip kapakanan ng kanilang mga kababayan.

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[kisshmet]

mechanically speaking the faster you go the faster is the rate of wear & tear. so we better be prepared with the cost of maintenance which will surely be HIGH

most countries that have successfully put up a bullet train system are highly industrialized with the technical prowess to build such a system indegenously. its the only feasible way to keep operational cost at an optimal level. importing most of the system will be a costly proposition & the ensuing upkeep will be difficult to sustain

when a train a stall, it will not be like on the road where a vehicle can be set aside to make way for others

[falken]

Pag nagpalit na ng presidente ibabasura na naman ang proposal na iyan.

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[_Qwerty_]

ano na nangyari don sa extension nang MRT?? nakatayo na yung mga poste hanggang malolos.. nawala si GMA.. nawala na din yung project.. tsk tsk tsk

[shelu]

kailangan talaga natin ang tren. efficient train system is the backbone of economic development. sana matuloy ito. walang maunlad na bansa na walang tren. before WW2, isa ang pinas sa may pinakamagandang train system sa asia. sayang, di na narehab after the war. pag may bullet train na, mabawasan ang delayed flights sa naia. hehehe.