First Balfour, together with its joint venture (JV) partner Leighton Asia, officially signed the P22.2-billion Contract Package (CP) S-03A of the South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP) in Malacañang on July 13, 2023.

The JV was among the contractors that joined the signing for the three remaining civil works packages, alongside Indonesia’s PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk and PT PP (Persero) Tbk that won CP S-01 and CP S-03C.

First Balfour president and chief operating officer Anthony Fernandez said: “On behalf of the JV, we are honored to play a key role to support the government’s strategic plan to boost economic and urban growth development between Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. We will work closely together with other parties and stakeholders to ensure this asset will elevate and transform the Philippines’ transport system.”

ppines’ transport system.” Awarded by the Department of Transportation in June 2023, CP S-03A covers the construction of 7.9 kilometers of railway viaduct and ground level structures, one elevated station on Buendia and two ground level station buildings on EDSA and the Senate.It directly connects to CP S-03B, which was also awarded to the JV in April this year.

SCRP is part of the NorthSouth Commuter Railway (NSCR) system, a 147-kilometer rail infrastructure project funded by the Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency. It will be conjoined with the Philippine National Railway and will have a total of 37 stations. When it is completed in 2029, the full NSCR line will reduce the travel time between Clark Airport in Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna from four to two hours.

(Story/Photos by:Dolly Pasia-Ramos)