The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is aiming to open the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) segment linking Clark International Airport in Pampanga to Malanday in Valenzuela City by 2029, establishing a faster rail link between Metro Manila and northern Luzon.
“We will open in phases. Our first phase would be called Partial Operations 1—the first 27 kilometers and 7 stations will open by the end of 2027,” DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said during a joint site inspection with members of the House of Representatives and officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The subsequent phase will extend the line from Malolos to Clark International Airport, covering an additional 53 kilometers with a target opening date of late 2028 or early 2029.
“So by 2029, you can already take a train from Clark Airport all the way to Malanday in Valenzuela,” Batan also said.
The phased implementation schedule will enable commuters to travel along the northern segment of the 147.26-kilometer railway system ahead of full line completion.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez stressed that strong inter-agency coordination, congressional support, and international partnership remain essential to maintaining construction schedules.
“Building a modern transport system of this scale requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. With the firm backing of Congress and our project partners, we are pushing forward to ensure that the Filipinos get a world-class, reliable, safe and efficient commuter rail system,” Lopez said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed the DOTr to expedite the NSCR project to relieve daily commuter congestion between the capital and adjacent northern and southern provinces.
The southern segments of the NSCR will similarly open in stages, with DOTr targeting operations between Alabang and Calamba by 2031, followed by the central core connecting Valenzuela to Alabang for full system operations by 2033.
Batan noted that construction progress has reached a decisive milestone.
“We believe that this project has reached its point of no return and we are very happy to welcome our partners from Congress, to continue on this 50-year effort to get this line back up and running again,” Batan added.
The full NSCR network will span 147.26 kilometers across 30 local government units, incorporating 35 stations between Clark International Airport and Calamba, Laguna.
The system’s fleet will comprise 51 commuter train sets and seven express train sets dedicated to airport service. The DOTr confirmed that all eight cars of the fourth train set have been delivered and placed at the Malanday Depot.
Upon full operation, the railway is projected to transport approximately 800,000 passengers daily while reducing end-to-end travel time from over four hours to roughly two hours.
The infrastructure development is co-financed by the government of Japan through JICA and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).