Diaphragm-wall work starts for FTI underground station
The Leighton–First Balfour Joint Venture (LFBJV) has started erecting the reinforced concrete diaphragm-wall for the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) underground train station in Bicutan, Taguig City.
This structure will form the essential retaining wall and foundational support of the underground station.
A simple ceremony recently marked the start of the works, attended by representatives from the Department of Transportation–Project Management Office (DOTr-PMO), the Greater Capital Railway Consortium–Project Management Office (GCR-PMO), and the LFBJV project management team.
The DOTr-PMO directs policy and oversees the implementation of the NSCR, while the GCR-PMO ensures technical compliance and coordinates with the contractors.
FTI station part of multi-billion-peso NSCR 03-B segment
The underground FTI station is a major component of the NSCR 03-B segment, which the DOTr awarded to the LFBJV in 2023. The contract covers civil engineering, tunnel construction, and building works for a 6.1-kilometer railway stretch, including 4.7 km of twin tube tunnels with cross passages and 1.4 km of cut-and-cover and surface structures.
Once complete, the 147-kilometer NSCR will run from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, carrying up to 800,000 passengers daily at speeds reaching 130 kilometers per hour. The FTI station will also serve as an intermodal hub, connecting the NSCR to the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) now under construction.
Linking major railway lines
The MMSP, a 33-km underground line from Valenzuela City to Bicutan, will intersect with the NSCR, creating a fully integrated north–south transport system to ease traffic congestion and improve daily commutes in the capital.
First Balfour, a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings Corp., has contributed to major infrastructure projects, including the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, NLEX, and LRT-1 Cavite Extension.
Leighton Asia, operating across Asia, has built major rail, tunnel, and road systems in the Philippines and abroad. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
