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ADB approves loan worth over 4 billion USD for railway project in Philippines

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved up to 4.3 billion USD to help finance the construction of nearly 55 km of modern suburban railway line connecting Metro Manila with the city of Calamba in the Philippines.
ADB approves loan worth over 4 billion USD for railway project in Philippines ảnh 1ADB approves loan worth over 4 billion USD for railway project in the Philippines. (Photo: ADB)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB)has approved up to 4.3 billion USD to help finance the construction of nearly55 km of modern suburban railway line connecting Metro Manila with the city ofCalamba in the Philippines.

The investment in the South Commuter Railway Project, which is part of theNorth–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) network, is ADB’s largest infrastructurefinancing in the Asia and Pacific region to date.

Once completed, the South Commuter Railway will offer commuters fast publictransport, help to ease road traffic congestion, and contribute to a reductionin greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Philippines’ climate changeagenda. The project follows ADB’s financing of the Malolos–Clark Railway linenorth of the capital, for which construction is ongoing.

“The South Commuter Railway Project will provide affordable, safe, reliable,and fast public transport for commuters,” ADB Vice-President for East Asia,Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Ahmed M. Saeed said in the bank’s a newsrelease issued on June 9.

“This project represents ADB’s biggest infrastructure investment and reflectsour commitment to helping the Philippines attain its goals of reducing poverty,improving the lives of Filipinos, and achieving green, resilient, and higheconomic growth.”

The project includes the construction of 18 stations designed to provide safeaccess for all, including the elderly, women, children, and people withdisabilities; and a connecting tunnel to allow the operation of direct trainsfrom Calamba to stations on the future Metro Manila Subway system.

All infrastructure will be designed to be disaster-resilient and able towithstand typhoons and earthquakes. The project will reduce travel time betweenManila and Calamba by over half, from 2.5 hours currently by road.

In 2019, the ABD committed to fund a 2.5 billion USD railwayline north of the capital that is currently under construction. Once theprojects are completed, the Philippines will have 1,209km of railways./.
VNA
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