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21 April 2013

Manila to Clark Airport Bullet Train, Anyone?

Here's a bit of good news (though the cynical Tutubi doubts if it can be implemented soon just like the much delayed SLEX-NLEX connector roads or the already scrapped NorthRail) where a high-speed rail to/from Clark Airport to link it with Metro Manila.

It's a proposed Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) project by Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) finance the $3-billion Clark-Metro Manila project.

Proposed Project Information per the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA):

Proponent: Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC)
Name: Express Airport Trains
Description of Plan: Construct a bullet train line with the the new railways between the lanes of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx)
Proposed Stops/Terminals: at least three stops in Metro Manila: Balintawak or near TriNoMa or SM North in Quezon City; Manila like Dimasalang or University of Sto. Tomas; and Makati at Buendia Avenue.

Project Benefits: cut travel time from 2 hours to only 45 minutes to transport passengers from Clark to Manila, and vice versa.

Project cost: US3,000,000,000.00
Target Completion Date: N/A

Comments:

Bullet Trains are expensive, much like Japan's Shinkansen, where train fares are almost equal to airfares. Japan's bullet train technology is also mature, safe and efficient and designed to handle even strong earthquakes.

How about connecting Clark Airport to NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) and probably beyond Clark to say Baguio but it depends on economic sense and feasibility. A bullet train to Bicol crossing to Visayas and Mindanao may be there too, but someday, when the economy grows

for Tutubi, this is just a pipe dream...it's still an early proposal and may take years like other government projects.

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