Manila, the capital of the Philippines (Image: AdobeStock)

Leighton Asia, part of the Hochtief-owned CIMIC Group, has won a joint venture deal with First Balfour to build a new section of railway around Manila in the Philippines.

The Leighton-First Balfour joint venture will build package S-03A (CP S-03A) for the project, which involves a further section of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) 鈥� South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP). The project aims to reduce road congestion around Manila.

The deal is worth around A$299 million (US$206 million) to Leighton Asia.

The new section of railway will connect to package S-03B of the project, which the joint venture won in April this year.

The scope of work for CP S-03A comprises building and civil engineering for approximately 7.9km of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure, including an elevated station at Buendia and at-grade stations at EDSA and Senate; and the relevant mechanical, electrical, fa莽ade and other ancillary works.

CP S-03A and CP S-03B are part of the nearly 56km long SCRP, which is financed by the Asian Development Bank. It runs along the existing Philippine National Railways alignment and comprises 19 stations.

The SCRP is the southern leg of the 147-km NSCR system, which is set to run from Clark International Airport in Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna. The NSCR is set to accommodate as many as 800,000 passengers daily in its first year of operations.