President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the operations and maintenance project of the railway from Clark in Pampanga to Calamba in Laguna, a landmark initiative under the administration’s Build Better More agenda to improve mass transport and boost economic connectivity across Luzon.

Approved on Tuesday during the second meeting of the Economic Development Council which the President chairs, the operations and maintenance (O&M) project for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

It aims to ensure the efficient, reliable, and sustainable operations of one of the country’s most ambitious rail systems.

The NSCR is a 147.26-kilometer elevated railway line that will link Pampanga to Laguna, easing mobility across Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon. It is funded through loans from the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

It will feature 35 stations- of which 31 are elevated, three at-grade, and one underground- with depots located in Clark, Valenzuela, and Calamba.

At full capacity, the NSCR is expected to serve up to 800,000 passengers daily in its opening year, gradually increasing to a million passengers daily.

Two types of services will operate on the line. The commuter service will deploy 51 trainsets, each accommodating up to 2,242 passengers.

Meanwhile, the Limited Express service will operate with seven trainsets, each with a capacity of 386 passengers.

Trains will operate at speeds ranging from 120 to 130 kilometers per hour, a major upgrade from the current average of 20 to 40 kilometers per hour. Travel time from Clark to Calamba will be cut to around three hours, while the Limited Express will reduce Clark to Alabang trips to about two hours. The minimum train headway is estimated to be three minutes.

The NSCR system will also integrate operations with the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), particularly in the FTI to Bicutan segment, creating seamless mobility across major transit hubs.

Pre-operations are scheduled to begin in March 2026, with full operations targeted for January 2032. The total project cost is estimated at P229.32 billion. Presidential News Desk