ABOUT 30 local and international companies participated in a Department of Transportation (DOTr) market engagement conference for two major railway projects, signaling private-sector interest in the government's pipeline of rail investments.
The two-in-one conference, held Sept. 14 at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Mandaluyong City, covered the Institutional Capacity Strengthening: Project Delivery Support for Railway Projects (CDC-1) and the North-South Commuter Railway New Clark City Extension (NSCR-NCC-Ex).
The initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to accelerate the completion of mass transportation projects to serve more commuters.
Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said expanding the country's railway network would improve regional connectivity and the movement of people and goods.
“We thank the companies showing interest in helping us further improve the rail sector for more comfortable and faster travel for passengers,” Lopez said.
“We need to add more trains and improve the capabilities of the people behind the projects so we can complete them sooner,” he added.
The strong participation also reflected private-sector interest in working with the DOTr on its railway pipeline, according to Assistant Secretary for Railways Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships Eduardo Danilo Macabulos.
Macabulos said the participation showed that local and international companies and consultants were prepared to help implement the projects and that the private sector continued to have confidence in the department's procurement processes.
He said the DOTr's railway pipeline would help address traffic congestion and improve mobility between Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
“At the Department of Transportation, we believe that the real answer to traffic is mass transportation,” Macabulos said. “Our railways will ease the commute not only in Metro Manila but also in nearby provinces such as Pampanga and Laguna, extending to Tarlac.”
Institutional capacity
Under the CDC-1 project, the selected consultant will help strengthen the institutional capacity of the DOTr's railway-sector project management offices.
The support will cover project delivery, performance management and capability development, according to the DOTr Rail Unified Project Management Office.
The project is intended to strengthen the department's ability to deliver and manage its expanding railway portfolio as the government moves forward with multiple rail projects.
NSCR extension
Meanwhile, the NSCR-NCC-Ex involves the detailed engineering design and international checking engineer services for an 18.1-kilometer railway extension to New Clark City in Tarlac.
The project includes the construction of an additional station in New Clark City and is intended to extend the North-South Commuter Railway farther north.
The proposed extension is expected to strengthen the transportation network and help ease traffic congestion across the Greater Capital Region by improving rail connectivity between Metro Manila and Central Luzon.
The DOTr said continued engagement with local and international partners would support the development of the country's railway network and the delivery of safer, more reliable, comfortable and efficient public transportation.
