Northrail project to start soon

MALOLOS CITY — The Chinese-funded Northrail project linking Metro Manila to Central Luzon will start soon as the first 32 kilometers have already been cleared of structures and informal settlers, Vice President Noli de Castro said yesterday.

De Castro, concurrent chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, turned over to the North Luzon Railways Corp. (NLRC) the 32-kilometer stretch of the MacArthur Highway from Caloocan City to this Bulacan capital for the first phase of the Northrail project.

Earlier, Chinese Ambassador Li Jin Jun urged the Philippine government to speed up the clearing of the first 16 kilometers from Caloocan to Balagtas, Bulacan to allow Chinese technicians to complete the design of the railway system. — James Mananghaya