-
The proposed 123-mile Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway is undergoing project development with the feasibility study expected to start within this quarter or the next
-
Project development is being supported by three partners, the Asian Development Bank, United States Trade and Development Agency, and Swedfund
-
The main feasibility study will be conducted by the consultant that will be procured by ADB
-
Complementary studies on particular portions of the project will be funded by Swedfund and the USTDA
The proposed 123-mile Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway is now undergoing project development with the feasibility study expected to start within this quarter or the next, according to Department of Transportation assistant secretary for railways Eduardo Danilo Macabulos.
Project development is being supported by three partners, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and Sweden’s development finance institution, Swedfund, Macabulos told PortCalls in a chance interview at the sidelines of the 2025 Transport Forum co-organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and Team Sweden.
The main feasibility study will be conducted by the consultant that will be procured by ADB while the complementary studies on particular portions of the project will be funded by Swedfund and the USTDA.
Based on Macabulos’ presentation during the forum, ADB, USTDA, and Swedfund have committed US$8 million, $3.3 million, and $1.1 million, respectively, as funding for assistance for the project.
READ: US approves $3.8M loan for SCMB railway project study
The USTDA last June signed the funding for technical assistance, with Virginia-based The Cadmus Group LLC tapped for the contract.
The Cadmus Group, meanwhile, has already been mobilized to provide technical expertise on the model survey, port rail integration, regulatory legal analysis, and developmental impact analysis, among other areas.
Based on the timeline, Macabulos said the feasibility study, which will also include determining the mode of procurement for the project, will be completed in one to two years’ time.
The railway is envisioned to be the backbone of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), which aims to accelerate critical infrastructure investment and drive economic transformation in the Philippines.
The governments of the Philippines, the US, and Japan in April last year announced plans to develop the LEC to support connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas by accelerating coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects, including rail, ports modernization, clean energy and semiconductor supply chains and deployments, and agribusiness to further connect and drive economic growth in each hub.
The SCMB Railway will also decentralize port activity, ease freight congestion, and enable potential passenger services in the future. – Roumina Pablo
READ: New Batangas private port readied for multimodal integration
