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The North-South Commuter Railway operations & maintenance project will be undertaken under a public-private partnership arrangement as approved by the Economy and Development Council
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The total estimated cost of the O&M contract is P229.32 billion
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The Council chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the decision as a “major milestone in the government’s efforts to modernize public transportation and improve regional connectivity across Luzon”
The North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) operations & maintenance (O&M) project will be undertaken under a public-private partnership arrangement as approved by the Economy and Development Council on its second meeting on July 15. The total estimated cost of the O&M contract is P229.32 billion.
In a statement, the Council chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the decision as a “major milestone in the government’s efforts to modernize public transportation and improve regional connectivity across Luzon.”
The NSCR is a 147-kilometer elevated railway line that will ease travel across three regions: Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and CALABARZON.
With construction already in advanced stages, the project is expected to benefit as many as 800,000 passengers daily in its opening year, eventually serving up to one million commuters.
The railway will feature 35 stations, including 31 elevated, three at-grade, and one underground. Depots will be located in Clark, Valenzuela, and Calamba to support maintenance and operations.
The NSCR will offer two types of train services: commuter trains, with 51 trainsets each capable of carrying 2,242 passengers; and limited express trains, with seven trainsets accommodating 386 passengers each. These services are designed to significantly improve travel speeds, with trains operating at 120 to 130 kilometers per hour (kph)—far surpassing the current average speeds of 20 to 40 kph.
Travel time from Clark to Calamba will be reduced to approximately three hours via commuter service from around four hours, while the limited express service will cut travel time from Clark to Alabang to around two hours.
Pre-operations for the project will begin in March 2026 until July 2027.
The concession period for the partial operations of Phase 1, which stretches from Clark International Airport to Valenzuela (13 stations), will commence in December 2027 and continue until September 2028.
The concession period for the partial operations of Phase 2, which extends the services to Nichols with the additional segment from Alabang to Calamba (32 stations) will run from October 2028 until December 2031. Full operations are expected to begin in January 2032.
READ: ADB oks $1.45B final tranche for Malolos-Clark Railway Project
