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Cadmus Group won the contract to provide technical assistance on the 123-mile Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway Railway
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Cadmus will lead the preparatory studies, including development of the railway’s transport model, port-rail integration study, environmental impact assessment, and regulatory and legal analysis
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Cadmus will also work closely with the Asian Development Bank and Sweden’s development finance institution to advance the project
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The technical assistance is funded by the United States Trade and Development Agency
The Cadmus Group LLC was awarded the contract to provide technical assistance on the 123-mile Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway.
Virginia-based Cadmus in a statement said the development is a crucial step to secure financing for the flagship railway project even as it will generate significant US export opportunities in the high-tech rail sector.
The group will lead preparatory studies, including development of the railway’s transport model, port-rail integration study, environmental impact assessment, and regulatory and legal analysis, pre-requisites to construction.
The contract was funded by funded by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Cadmus said it will also work closely with the Asian Development Bank and Sweden’s development finance institution (Swedfund) to advance the project.
Cadmus added the contract builds on its more than 50 years of experience in the Philippines, including recent US government projects on economic policy reform, digital connectivity, and infrastructure development.
Transport Secretary Vince Dizon, in a chance interview with PortCalls, said the study on the rail project may be completed in six to eight months.
The USTDA last June announced funding for technical assistance to develop the SCMB Railway.
USTDA said it is partnering with the Philippines’ Department of Transportation to provide technical expertise related to transportation modeling, port-rail integration analysis, and legal and institutional planning.
The railway is envisioned to be the backbone of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), which aims to accelerate critical infrastructure investment and drive economic transformation in the Philippines, the USTDA said in a statement.
The governments of the Philippines, the US, and Japan in April last year announced plans to develop the LEC to support connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas by accelerating coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects, including rail; ports modernization; clean energy and semiconductor supply chains and deployments; and agribusiness to further connect and drive economic growth in each hub.
The SCMB Railway will also decentralize port activity, ease freight congestion, and enable potential passenger services in the future. The project complements broader efforts under the LEC to enhance connectivity and economic resilience across key logistics hubs, alongside contributions from regional allies and partners like Japan.
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