The Philippines has received a brand-new eight-car electric multiple unit (EMU) trainset intended for the Malolos-Tutuban section of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced.
Transportation Secretary Giovani Lopez confirmed that the newly arrived four-car/eight-car configuration, the fourth trainset delivered for the project, is currently undergoing comprehensive safety and technical inspections before it is approved for future revenue service.
“The President’s standing instruction to the DOTr is to fast-track the completion of projects that will provide faster, more efficient and comfortable travel for commuters,” Lopez said.
“We will ensure that we meet target dates without compromising the quality and safety of these projects for our passengers,” he added.
Manufactured by Japan Transport Engineering Company and Sumitomo Corporation under Contract Package 03, the trainset marks another key delivery in the buildout of the mega-railway network.
Under the DOTr’s current implementation schedule, civil works and testing for the N1 phase, which spans from Valenzuela to Malolos, Bulacan, are slated for completion by December 2027. Full commercial operations across the entire line are projected to start in the fourth quarter of 2028.
Once complete, the 147-kilometer NSCR system will serve as a high-capacity transit corridor linking Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Calabarzon. Spanning from Valenzuela to Clark, Pampanga, the railway will feature 35 stations and is projected to carry up to 800,000 passengers daily.
The project aims to alleviate severe road congestion across major Luzon transport routes, cutting travel time between Clark and Calamba, Laguna, in half, from four hours down to just two hours.