Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko attended the official contract signing between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Hitachi Rail for the electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems and track works of the Japan-funded North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project (Malolos-Tutuban) on January 30.

In his speech, Ambassador Koshikawa expressed that 'The government of Japan, along with our private sector, takes pride in being part of the ambitious and transformative railway projects of the Philippine government.' The Ambassador also reaffirmed Japan's commitment to work with the Philippine government towards the successful completion of the NSCR, and the projects of 'Build Better More' program. Hitachi Rail's innovative signaling technology will monitor the NSCR's movement and speed limit on the track and will help reduce its energy footprint by enabling very efficient operation of the trains. This system will also boost safety on the line by enabling automatic activation of train safety functions, including emergency braking in case of danger or if trains exceed the track's maximum line speed. The NSCR project, financed by the government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is one of the key infrastructure projects of the 'Build, Better, More' program of the Marcos administration. The 38-km railway will reduce travel time from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban, Manila from the current 90 minutes to only 35 minutes.