BCDA to bid out Clark railway project

State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) plans to bid out by June a package of contracts for the construction of the Clark Rail Transit System, which will now run from Manila to the Clark Green City.

BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova disclosed that the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) had asked the state agency to also cover the Tutuban to Malolos, Bulacan, portion of the railway. Previously, the BCDA was supposed to cover only the portion of the railway from Malolos to Tarlac City.

“This move will ensure direct connectivity of the Clark Green City with Manila,” Casanova said.

He added that they were looking to finalize the terms of reference for this particular bidding exercise by May this year to enable them to offer the contracts to investors the following month.

The contracts will cover not only the construction of the Clark Rail Transit System, but also the development of the commercial real estate areas along the line and the operation of a multi-modal transport system within the Clark Green City, which covers areas in Pampanga and Tarlac.

Looping these contracts in a single package was meant to provide the winning bidder with other avenues for revenue growth given the huge investments needed to set up the Clark Rail. This, Casanova said, was also the first time that such a mode was being implemented in the Philippines.

According to Casanova, the winning bidder will be tasked to plan, design, finance, build, operate and maintain the Clark Rail, which is essentially an extension of the P287-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project of the DOTC.

Casanova disclosed that apart from the rail operations, the winning bidder would have the right to develop the stations as well as the substantial property along the line into commercial areas. The whole project is expected to cover 150 hectares of available land within Clark Green City. The winning proponent would likewise have the right to develop and operate a multi-model transport system within what was touted to become as the country’s first smart, green and disaster-resilient metropolis, he added.