Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Monday called on the contractor of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Phase 1 to complete the project on time as the project is expected to service thousands of Filipino commuters from the Metro Manila and adjacent provinces in Northern Luzon.

"I call on Hitachi to complete the project on time. We hope we will do this even earlier. We will work closely so that all issues are addressed so that we complete this project on time," Bautista said during the signing of the Contract Package 04 (CP04) of the NSCR Phase 1.

Once fully operational, thousands of Filipinos are expected to benefit from the project with ease of mobility and accessible connectivity, Bautista said.

"This part of the NSCR will carry the most number of passengers of the NSCR Project," he said, while extending his gratitude to the government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the contractor Hitachi for supporting the rail infrastructure.

The Japanese government likewise expressed commitment in completing the project.

"We commit our support for the successful completion of the NSCR as build, better more program as a whole," said Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa.

As the contract for Electro-Mechanical Systems and Track Works, CP04 features the Design and Build Contract for the NSCR's first segment, including the design and main works for eight subsystems.

Composed of ten stations, the CP04 of NSCR Phase 1 has a total route length of 34.91 kilometers connecting Solis in Tondo, Manila and Malolos, Bulacan.

Bankrolled by JICA, the NSCR Phase 1 has a route length of 37.9-kilometers from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban, Manila, and will be eventually connected to the NSCR-Extension Project, which passes from Calamba, Laguna to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Designed to operate under a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, the rail line will reduce travel time between Makati City and Clark International Airport in less than two hours through the Airport Express Service, while servicing 350,000 passengers daily.

Poised to improve connectivity and economic activity in Northern Luzon, the project is also expected to generate employment with 59,000 jobs available during construction and 9,000 jobs for operations and maintenance. DOTr