The construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) remains on schedule following the arrival of its third eight-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trainset in the Philippines, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced Wednesday.
The newly arrived trainset for the project’s Malolos-Tutuban segment is currently undergoing Bureau of Customs clearance and will soon be transported to the Malanday Depot in Valenzuela City.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez reaffirmed that the project aligns with Malacañang’s directives to expedite construction and deliver a reliable mass transit system.
“The President’s directive is to accelerate the construction of the NSCR, and with this development, we can deliver the project on time,” Lopez said. “We ensured that the trainsets underwent rigorous inspection and are of high quality to guarantee safe and efficient use by passengers.”
Procured from the consortium of Japan Transport Engineering Co. and Sumitomo Corp. under Contract Package 03, the trainset forms part of the system’s growing rolling stock. A fourth trainset is scheduled for delivery in October 2026.
The DOTr is targeting partial operations for the Valenzuela-to-Malolos segment by the fourth quarter of 2027.
Once fully complete, the 147-kilometer railway backbone will feature 35 stations linking Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon. The line is projected to serve around 800,000 passengers daily, cutting travel time between Clark, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna, from four hours down to just two.