BCDA, Japanese agency set to start Clark rail plans

A PHILIPPINE state agency and a Japanese government corporation are eyeing to sign next month an agreement that will formalize their partnership for the development of the $1.9-billion Clark Rail Transit System.

“Next year, we hope to have an agreement with Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corp. for Transport and Urban Development (Join) to be able to form the joint venture contract. We will have a joint venture company which will plan everything from the utilities side to infrastructure,” said Arnel Paciano D. Casanova, president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Casanova was referring to the agency’s prospective partnership with Join for the 85-kilometer project, which will require a huge amount of resources and technology expertise.

“Then we will eventually bring in Filipino and Japanese companies that will undertake the construction, operation and maintenance of the railway. There will be different projects involved from power, water, railways, telecommunications to industrial estate development. We also want to encourage Japanese real estate developers [to join us],” Casanova added.

The target is to be able to start construction by 2017 for the Malolos, Bulacan, to Clark Green City line.

The BCDA has already drafted its options for the alignment of railways and has completed both the traffic study and preliminary designs.

“We just need to come up with the partners for this. They have to do their own study. Under our charter, we (BCDA) have the power to directly negotiate with companies that will be submitting specific proposals. This option is something we are working on with Join,” he said.

Casanova said the BCDA won’t likely use the existing PNR line, which traverses existing town centers, as the agency wanted a cheaper and more convenient alternative to ensure continued construction.

“The less disturbance you create, the faster the execution you can have. What we want is cheaper and more convenient construction. What we want is for the railway to pass through the undeveloped areas because it will be difficult to create big stations in existing town centers,” he said.

He said the BCDA would have to spend a lot for relocating those within the right of way. “The thrust is to go out of the town centers and create new economic centers instead,” he said.

Earlier this year, Casanova disclosed there were three companies involved in railway development that have expressed interest in the project. One of the interested parties was from Japan, while the remaining two are regional players.

The package of contracts for the Clark Rail Transit System will comprise not only of the construction of a railway but also of the development of the commercial real estate areas along the line. The package also includes the operation of a multimodal transport system within Clark Green City, touted to become the country’s first smart, green and disaster-resilient metropolis.

The whole project is expected to cover some 150 hectares of available land within Clark Green City.