US$4.3B North-South Commuter Railway to Cut Manila-Laguna Travel Time in Half

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Department of Transportation (DoTR) gave a sneak peak of the US$4.3 billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), which is expected to cut the travel time between Metro Manila and Calamba, Laguna in half.

The ambitious project includes stations along EDSA, Sucat, Santa Rosa, and Buendia based on model pictures shared by the DoTR on June 16.

The NSCR spans nearly 55 kilometers and has 18 stations. It encompasses three railway projects, including the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark), and the PNR Calamba (Solis-Calamba). ADB said the infrastructure will be designed to withstand disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes.

The Philippine government and the ADB signed the loan agreement yesterday, representing the regional lender’s biggest infrastructure investment to date. ADB will finance civil works for the railway viaduct, stations, bridges, tunnels, and depot buildings, while Japan International Cooperation Agency will fund the rolling stock and railway systems.