The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US$1.45 billion as the second and final tranche of its multitranche financing facility for the Malolos–Clark Railway Project (MCRP), a core element of the Philippine government’s flagship project to provide a safe, affordable, reliable and environment-friendly railway connecting northern and southern Luzon provinces to Metro Manila.
     
The MCRP is a 53.1-km segment of the 163-km North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR), which will reshape mass transportation in the country using disaster-resilient design and high-technology construction methods. ADB is also financing the southern leg of the NSCR system, the South Commuter Railway Project.

“The Malolos–Clark Railway Project is one of ADB’s biggest project financing in the entire Asia and Pacific region. We are proud to partner with the government in making the vision of a world-class mass transportation system in the country a reality. This major transformative project will spur more investments, create jobs and contribute to sustaining the country’s growth momentum,” said ADB Philippines country director Pavit Ramachandran.  

The MCRP features three types of commuter service – regular commuter trains, express trains with stops at stations with high passenger demand, and the country’s first airport express trains connecting to Clark International Airport. It will help lower the country’s greenhouse gas emissions with the shift to mass transit from private vehicles.

Aside from helping decongest Metro Manila, the MCRP will promote regional economic integration by creating linkages to the Central Luzon Corridor. The US$1.3-billion tranche 1 of the financing facility for the project was approved by ADB in 2019 and is now fully utilised.

ADB will continue to assist in the implementation of the MCRP and provide livelihood support for vulnerable communities via technical assistance. 

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is cofinancing the project. It will deliver the rolling stock and railway systems such as track, electrical and mechanical systems.

Image: ADB