Express train from Clark to Calamba project gaining steam

Manila, Philippines — An express train that snakes through the 147-kilometer Luzon corridor from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba has somehow gained steam.

The contract – valued at P229.32 billion - to operate and maintain it has been greenlit by the Economy and Development (ED) Council, the new name for the erstwhile NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) Board, according to a press release on Wednesday.

The railway system - with a top speed of up to 130 kilometres per hour (kph) - can transport up to one million passengers daily with its 51 commuter trains and seven express trains with stops at 35 stations. At a speed far faster than the current 20-50 kph, the trains promise to cut travel time by an hour from four hours.

Dubbed as the North-South Commuter Railway, the train system is among the big-ticket infrastructure projects approved by the Duterte administration with funding from the Japanese government and the Asian Development Bank and then continued by the Marcos government.

The express train system will go full throttle by January 2032, but pre-operations could begin as early as March next year, the statement read.

“The North-South Commuter Railway Project is a major step toward faster, greener, and more connected transportation for Filipinos as the system will also be integrated with the Metro Manila Subway. At the same time, it will promote green and commercial development along its corridors,” said Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (formerly NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who also sits as vice chairperson of the ED Council.