PNR focused on railway program

Philippine National Railways (PNR) chairman Michael Ted Macapagal remains focused on helping achieve President Marcos’ development plan for a comprehensive railway system across the archipelago.

According to the PNR official, “the Philippines is witnessing what many consider a railway renaissance, with ambitious projects spanning the entire country aimed at modernizing public transportation and boosting economic connectivity.”

Part of the transportation revolution is the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Freight Railway, a flagship project that represents the administration’s commitment to creating efficient cargo corridors across Luzon. The project, he said, has recently received significant international backing, with the United States boosting funding support for the proposal.

By linking Olongapo City’s Subic Bay strategic port facilities with Clark’s economic zone, Manila’s commercial hub and Batangas’ growing industrial sector, Macapagal said the project promises to revolutionize freight movement and reduce logistics costs for businesses operating in these key economic corridors.

The administration’s railway development program, he assured, is on an aggressive timeline to deliver tangible benefits to commuters in the near term.

The Metro Manila Subway, representing the country’s most ambitious underground transit project, he continued, targets initial operations by 2028, with full system completion shortly thereafter. The 36-kilometer underground railway will serve key areas from Quezon City to Pasay, providing high-capacity transportation solutions for thousands of daily commuters.

The North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, meanwhile, is designed to connect Metro Manila with surrounding provinces and has similarly set ambitious completion targets for its various phases.

A portion of the northern segment, he said, aims for completion by 2027, creating a comprehensive commuter network from Clark in Pampanga to Metro Manila, and further south from Alabang to Calamba in Laguna.

The LRT and MRT railway systems, he said, are undergoing major upgrades as well. Specifically, he elaborated, the LRT Line-1, one of Manila’s oldest rail systems, is receiving substantial upgrades to improve capacity, reliability and passenger-experience.

The LRT-1 extension project to Cavite, he said, has started, with a segment already completed and inaugurated by the President at the end of 2024. Full completion is targeted by 2026, which will bring modern rail connectivity to one of Metro Manila’s fastest-growing suburban areas.

The LRT Line-2 is also benefiting from expansion projects and infrastructure upgrades. The east extension of LRT-2, which will extend the line to Antipolo, Rizal, is scheduled for completion by 2026, significantly improving transportation access for residents of eastern Metro Manila.

The Metro Rail Transit, which serves as a crucial north-south transportation artery, the PNR chief said, is also undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation and expansion.

The MRT-3 rehabilitation project targets completion of all major upgrades by this year, while the proposed MRT-7 line connecting Quezon City to Bulacan is scheduled for completion by 2026, providing crucial connectivity to rapidly developing northern suburbs.

Meanwhile, the MRT-4 line, he said, has a proposal to connect Ortigas to Taytay, Rizal, and is under study. It would require an additional funding source due to design changes.

The South Long Haul, popularly known as the Bicol Express, Macapagal said, currently has many interested proponents that are being evaluated by the administration.

The President, he revealed, has also signified interest in jumpstarting the process of working on a comprehensive feasibility study to construct Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway Project that will connect Tagum City, Davao City, and Digos City.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, Macapagal said, has emphasized President Marcos’ vision to move away from a car-centric transportation system, which the PNR chairman fully supports.

According to Macapagal, “Under Secretary Dizon’s proactive leadership, the President’s vision for a shift toward mass transportation will soon come to fruition.”

Thus, the PNR chairman agreed, “the main goal is to improve the lives of our fellow citizens through safe, comfortable, accessible, and efficient travel while focusing on an integrated transportation network that supports economic growth and reduces traffic congestion.”

The success of these railway initiatives, Macapagal said, has been bolstered by strategic international partnerships, particularly with allies like the United States, Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

The recent US funding boost for the SCMB project, he pointed out, exemplifies how the Philippines’ railway development has garnered international confidence and support. Quoting Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, “this milestone demonstrates that Philippine-US economic ties are stronger than ever under President Marcos.”

The railway projects, he reiterated, are expected to generate economic benefits, including job creation, improved business competitiveness through reduced logistics costs, enhanced connectivity between economic centers, increased economic activity in various train stations outside of Metro Manila, and relief from Manila’s traffic problems.

Macapagal believes that “the railway renaissance under the Marcos administration represents more than just infrastructure development. It embodies the President’s vision for national progress, economic growth and improved quality of life for all Filipinos.”

Meanwhile, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) is urging Congress to pass a strengthened Right of Way or ROW bill without delay, lamenting that “the country’s systemic failures in infrastructure development are not mere bureaucratic inefficiencies – they represent nothing less than a national crisis of competitiveness, one that undermines economic growth, erodes our regional standing, and deprives millions of Filipinos of the modern connectivity they deserve.”

FFCCCII laments that while our Asian and ASEAN neighbors surge ahead with world-class infrastructure, the Philippines remains shackled by self-imposed paralysis. It stressed that “the cost of inaction is unconscionable. The Metro Manila Subway, already delayed by four years due to ROW disputes, represents billions in lost productivity, stifled investment and prolonged suffering for commuters trapped in endless congestion. The North-South Commuter Railway and LRT-1 Cavite extension face the same fate, while our economy pays the price. We cannot, we must not, allow legal and bureaucratic inertia to strangle our future.”