The Department of Transportation on Thursday said the Balagtas station of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, a key component of the planned partial operation of Clark International Airport and the West Valenzuela stations by December 2027, is now 95 percent complete.
Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the near completion of the Balagtas Station is in preparation for the NSCR’s partial operation by December 2027.
The Balagtas station is part of the project’s Northern leg, the Malolos – Tutuban segment, which includes nine other stations, including the Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, West Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos stations.
Bautista said the materials used in the construction of the Balagtas Station are state-of-the-art and environment-friendly.
“These are state-of-the-art materials and environment-friendly. The designs are very different from other stations,” Secretary Bautista said at the inspection of the Balagtas Station and Malanday Depot in Valenzuela on Thursday.
“This is really a part of what we call the railway renaissance in the Philippines,” Bautista added.
The NSCR Balagtas Station roof is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) roofing membrane known for its resistance to high temperature, chemicals, corrosion, and ease of maintenance.
The roofing material at the NSCR Balagtas Station has unparalleled lightness and coverage, as well as excellent flexibility, light transmission, and ability to gently wrap and protect products.
A 180-meter-long structure, the NSCR Balagtas Station’s facilities include a concourse and platform, two elevators, six escalators, and other features that are gender-inclusive, PWD-friendly, and accessible to senior citizens.
The 14-hectare NSCR Malanday Depot, meanwhile, has 72.10 percent overall completion rate as of end-June 2024. The depot features four major buildings, including an operations control center (OCC).
The 147-kilometer, 35-station elevated NSCR system will run from Clark International Airport in Pampanga to Calamba in Laguna, reducing end-to-end travel time from the current four hours to less than two hours via train.
Once completed, the rail system will service 800,000 passengers on its first year of operations.
