The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is "confident" that the partial operation of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) from Manila to Malolos will be achieved by 2026.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon said the portion from Manila to Clark is “about at 50, a little over 50 percent completion" and is expected to be partially operational from Manila to Clark before the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ends in 2028.

"We are confident that we can run Manila to Malolos by either the end of 2026 or early 2027, and we are targeting all the way to Clark before the end of the President's term by 2028", Dizon said.

"We feel that with our partners, the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), the Japanese partners, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), we will see these trains really start operating within the term of the President. Not the full line from Calamba to Clark, but I think parts of those lines, especially from Metro Manila to Malolos, and hopefully Malolos to Clark, before the President's term ends", Dizon added.

The 147 kilometer rail line of NSCR, which is over a three-decade long project, is expected to decongest Metro Manila traffic and shorten travel time from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna by less than two hours. It is expected to accommodate 800,000 passengers per day. Marie Manalili/DMS