For auction: PNR rail track improvement

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government on Tuesday, May 19, invited prospective bidders to participate in the auction of the P144.38-million ($3.24-million) rail track improvement of the Philippine National Railways (PNR), to revive the Southeast Asia’s oldest railway system.

The Department of Transportation and Communications said the project will add a second track to run parallel to the single track currently connecting the Sucat and Alabang stations.

This project will add “3.97 kilometers of rails which will allow simultaneous two-way traffic to run in that section. Presently, PNR’s rails are double-tracked from Tutuban to Sucat only,” DOTC said.

Prospective bidders may buy bid documents starting today, May 19. A pre-bid conference, according to the transportation department, is scheduled on May 26; while the submission and opening of bids is set on June 9.

The award and start of construction of the project are targeted by the third quarter of the year, DOTC said.

The winning bidder, according to DOTC, will have 200 days to construct the double rail tracks.

“The state-owned PNR is temporarily not operating for safety reasons, as the status of its rail tracks are being investigated by management following the April 29 derailment incident near its Magallanes station,” DOTC said in a statement.

The investigation is expected to yield an inventory of missing or needed parts such as rail joints, angle bars, and rail clips – which will then be procured and installed “to allow the PNR to resume its operations as soon as possible,” DOTC said.

Prior to the incident, the railway system had been servicing the Tutuban-Calamba route daily. 

DOTC said PNR is also expecting the arrival of two second-hand donated trains from Japan in the coming weeks.

Aside from replacing missing parts and constructing double-track rails, the PNR has other rehabilitation projects for near-term implementation, like roofing extension to shield passengers from heat and rain, installation of turnstiles in major stations, and rail and comfort room rehabilitation. These “urgent improvements” are targeted to complete by yearend or early 2016.

Meanwhile, the DOTC is scheduled to begin the procurement process for its long-term solution to revitalize the PNR later this month. This project, called the North-South Railway Project, aims to revive PNR’s services from Malolos to Tutuban as its North Line and Tutuban to Legazpi City as its South Line by the end of 2020. – Rappler.com

$1=P44.56