On March 18, Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko joined Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade at the unveiling ceremony for the first batch of rolling stocks for the ongoing Japan-funded North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project

Financed by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the first batch of rolling stocks for the 38-km railway is part of the 104 brand-new rolling stocks provided by Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-TREC) for the NSCR Malolos-Tutuban segment. These train sets utilize state-of-the art Japanese railway technology that uses energy-efficient and reliable trains.

Ambassador Koshikawa said: “Today’s unveiling of this NSCR rolling stock is one of the banner achievements of our railway cooperation and our joint railway projects are seen to drive economic revitalization after the pandemic. By easing traffic congestion and providing efficient transportation, the NSCR will help lead to an improved business environment.”.

The ambassador also assured that Japan commits continuous support for the successful completion of the NSCR and all the other railway projects.

The NSCR is one of the key infrastructure projects supported by Japan under the Philippine Government's Build, Build, Build program.

The NSCR is expected to serve around 300,000 passengers and reduce travel time from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban, Manila from the current 90 minutes to only 35 minutes. Japan Information and Cultural Center