Commuters traveling between Metro Manila and Central Luzon remain on schedule to see passenger rail service restored along the northern corridor by the end of 2027, transportation authorities confirmed.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that partial operations for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) covering the 28-kilometer segment from Valenzuela City to Malolos, Bulacan, are slated to open by December 2027. The initial phase will span seven stations along the historic rail alignment, marking the first passenger train operations on the route since the 1990s.
”Currently, we are on track for our first partial operations by the end of 2027. That’s the first 28 kilometers, seven stations, from Valenzuela to Malolos,” transportation officials stated during a recent project inspection.
Following the opening of the initial Valenzuela-Malolos segment, DOTr targets extending service by an additional 53 kilometers to Clark, Pampanga, by the second half of 2028.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez reaffirmed that government monitoring remains focused on adhering to the updated construction timeline.
”We are on the right track. There were some delays in the past, and the president is ensuring that we finish this on time,” Lopez said.
Once fully built out across its 147-kilometer network from Clark to Calamba, Laguna, the mega-railway system is projected to service up to 800,000 daily passengers across 35 stations, integrating regional connectivity across Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon.