The North–South Commuter Railway (; NSCR), also known as the Clark–Calamba Railway, is a
commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
system under construction on the island of
Luzon
Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
in the Philippines. Running from
New Clark City
New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, owned and managed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). It is located within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the municipalities of Bamb ...
in
Capas
Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas (;
), is a Philippine municipality, municipality in the Philippine province, province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivi ...
, Tarlac, to
Calamba, Laguna, with 36 stations and four services, the railway is designed to improve connectivity within the
Greater Manila Area
The Greater Manila Area () is the contiguous urbanization region surrounding the Metro Manila, Metropolitan Manila area of the Philippines. This built-up zone includes Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan to the north, Cavite and ...
and will be integrated with the
railway network in the region.
Originally planned in the 1990s, the railway project has had a tumultuous history, being repeatedly halted and restarted for various reasons.
The first proposals were the "Manila–Clark rapid railway" with
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
in the 1990s, alongside the "Manila–Calabarzon Express".
During the 2000s, the Northrail project with
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
was initiated but discontinued in 2011 due to allegations of
overpricing.
The railway's current incarnation began development in 2013.
The project's initial phase was approved in 2015,
and construction began in 2019.
Expected to cost , the line is the most expensive railway transportation project in the country. The entire system is expected to be completed by 2031.
History
Background

During the Spanish and American colonial periods, the Manila Railway Company, later the
Manila Railroad Company
The Manila Railroad Company (MRR) was a Filipino state-owned enterprise responsible for the management and operation of rail transport in the island of Luzon. It was originally established by an English people, Englishman named Edmund Sykes as t ...
(MRR), operated various local trains between
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
and its neighboring provinces. By the 1920s, trains had run from Tutuban to
Naic
Naic (), officially the Municipality of Naic (), is a municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 160,987 people.
Etymology
Naic, Cavite is one of the former barrios of Maragond ...
in
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
,
Pagsanjan in
Laguna,
Montalban in
Rizal, and
Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
. The network was heavily damaged in the
Battle of Manila during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
,
but was mostly reestablished after the war.
MRR was succeeded by the
Philippine National Railways (PNR) on June 20, 1964.
On April 6, 1970, PNR inaugurated the Metro Manila Commuter Service, which started at
Manila North Harbor and ended in
Biñan station in Laguna. After numerous expansions, the commuter service served thousands of daily riders in its system and had an expansive network in and out of Metro Manila.
In 1978, at the request of the Philippine government, the
Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (), also known as JICA'','' is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social gr ...
(JICA) conducted a study on the electrification of the commuter service.
The plan was made to keep up with the increasing demand for transportation in the region. It called for the replacement of the diesel-run trains and the electrification of the PNR commuter line. Two experts from the
Japanese National Railways
The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...
were sent to conduct the study.
Services north of Manila started to decline in the 1980s. However, commuter services were briefly extended to
Malolos
Malolos , officially the City of Malolos (), is a component city and capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 261,189 people. It is the capital city of the province of Bulacan as the ...
starting in 1990 under the ''Metrotren'' project but later ceased in 1997. Since then, railway services have been mostly confined to the south, with the contemporary
Metro Commuter Line being predominantly aligned to the South Main Line.
Proposals in the 1990s
In 1994, President
Fidel Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reached ...
signed an executive order designating
Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base in Luzon, located west of Angeles City, and about northwest of Metro Manila. It was previously operated by the U.S. Air Force and, before that, the U.S. Army, from 1903 to 1991. The base cov ...
, as the premier international airport, with the support of the
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), while the other agencies also supported the development, and in the same year, President Ramos signed a memorandum of agreement with
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
for the construction of a railway line from Manila to Clark.
This would be known as the Manila–Clark rapid railway system (MCRRS). A joint venture agreement was entered into on June 10, 1995, between BCDA, PNR, Philippine companies
DMCI Holdings and
Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation, and Spanish firms with
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Grupo CAF, ) is a Spanish publicly listed company which manufactures railway vehicles and equipment and buses through its Solaris Bus & Coach subsidiary. It is based in Beasain, Basque Autonomous Comm ...
, Entrecanales y Tavora, Cubiertas y MZOV, (both companies later merged to form
Acciona
Acciona, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure (construction, water, industrial and services) and renewable energy. The company, via subsidiary Acciona Energía, produces 21 ...
) and Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, S.A., as well as other investors. The agreement also established the North Luzon Railways Corporation (NLRC) for the purpose of constructing, operating, and managing the railroad system on August 24.
In 1996, Spanish and Japanese companies entered the bidding process, while the project would have also been co-financed by the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF, later
Japan Bank for International Cooperation
The , JBIC, is a Japanese public financial institution and export credit agency that was created on October 1, 1999, through the merger of the Japan Export-Import Bank (JEXIM) and the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF).
JBIC became the ...
or JBIC, now JICA). The NLRC then entered into an engineering, procurement and construction contract with the
Spanish Railways Corporation on February 7 of the same year. Meanwhile, in 1997,
Ayala Land proposed the construction of a railway known as the Manila–Calabarzon Express (MCX). Its initial phase involved the rehabilitation of the railway from Caloocan to Calamba and eventually the construction of spur lines to
Carmona and
Canlubang under a
build–own–operate scheme.
Studies indicated that the MCRRS project was planned to unfold in four phases.
Phase 1, was set to connect
Fort Bonifacio, including a proposed intermodal station in
Bonifacio Global City
Bonifacio Global City, also known as BGC, Global City, or The Fort, is a 240-hectare mixed-use estate and central business district located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines. It is the home of the Philippine Stock Exchange, the national ...
, to the
Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone
Clark, officially the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ), is a freeport and special economic zone in Central Luzon, Philippines, managed by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), a government-owned and controlled corporation (G ...
. Phase 2 aimed to extend the line to
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Subi ...
. Phase 3 planned for an extension to
San Fernando, La Union
San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando (; ), is a component city and the capital of the province of La Union, Philippines. It serves as the regional and administrative center of the Ilocos Region. The city also functions as a hub ...
. Phase 4 proposed another extension from San Fernando to
Laoag
Laoag (), officially the City of Laoag (; ), is a component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 111,651 people.
It is the province's most populous settlement, ...
and an additional spur line to
San Jose, Nueva Ecija.
Both proposals were subsequently included in the Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study (MMUTIS).
The contract between the NLRC and the Spanish Railways Corporation was terminated on August 14, 1998, after the parties disagreed on the source of funding for the project.
Despite the contract termination, in September 1999, the
National Economic and Development Authority
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for national and regional economic policy, development, monitoring, and planning. DEPDev also oversees the pl ...
(NEDA) approved the MCRRS, with the initial phase covering a segment from
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloo ...
to
Calumpit. The source of funding was to be the Obuchi Fund from the JBIC.
The consortium was also now joined by Japanese companies including Fil Estate Management, Nishimatsu Construction, and
Mitsui & Co
is a Japanese general trading company (Sogo shosha, ''sogo shosha'') and a core member of the Mitsui, Mitsui Group. For much of the post-war period, Mitsui & Co. has been among the largest of the five great ''sogo shosha'' (Mitsui, Mitsubishi Co ...
. Pre-construction activities such as right-of-way clearing and relocation of affected
informal settlers began, but a presidential directive later halted the clearing activities.
Then, JBIC later dumped the project because of the government could not commit to clear the railway path squatters before releasing a loan, causing a lack of funds.
Ayala Land was subsequently excluded from the MCX as the government opted to fund the railway construction also through the Obuchi Fund, opening the project for bidding to private developers. In April 2000, the JBIC Obuchi Fund provided a $300 million loan to tap the ₱18.2 billion project. By the following year, the
Japanese government
The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty- ...
was considering funding the project.
Another study about the integration of Metro Manila's railway network by JICA in 2001 proposed the
through-operation of both railways in two options, such as an elevated section running on the existing PNR old right-of-way or an underground section running from
Tayuman to
Vito Cruz. According to SIRNMM, the proposed indicative length, which would have run from Tayuman to Marilao, was , while both options for MCX were to be (elevated) or (underground) from Tayuman to
Cabuyao
Cabuyao (), officially the City of Cabuyao (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 355,330 people.
It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the Philipp ...
. However, the plans would never materialize.
Northrail

Under the presidency of
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
, the MCRRS was succeeded by the Northrail project, a railway system from Caloocan to San Fernando, La Union.
The Northrail project's phase 1 involved the upgrading of the existing single track to an elevated dual-track system,
converting the
rail gauge
In rail transport, track gauge is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many different track gauges exist worldwide, gauge dif ...
from
narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
to
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, and linking Manila to Malolos in
Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
and further on to the
Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone
Clark, officially the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ), is a freeport and special economic zone in Central Luzon, Philippines, managed by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), a government-owned and controlled corporation (G ...
and
Clark International Airport
Clark International Airport , known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2014, is an international airport covering portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in ...
.
The first segment of phase 1 covered the railway from Caloocan to Malolos.
Succeeding phases followed the MCRRS masterplan, although Phase 4 was removed, Phase 3 was rebranded as Phase 4, and the section between Fort Bonifacio to Caloocan was rebranded as Phase 3, while Phase 2 was unchanged.
Its southern counterpart, the Southrail project, involved the rehabilitation of the entire
South Main Line from
Calamba to
Legazpi, Albay
Legazpi (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Legazpi (; ), is a Component City, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
, with an extension to
Matnog. Meanwhile, the Northrail–Southrail Linkage involved the rehabilitation of the existing Metro Commuter Line from Caloocan to Calamba, creating a link between the two systems.
On September 14, 2002, a memorandum of understanding was signed by NLRC and China National Machinery and Equipment Group (CNMEG) for the project.
It was later approved on August 5, 2003.
The project was estimated to cost around US$500 million, and the funding was to be covered by a US$400 million loan from the
Export–Import Bank of China, and the rest to be shouldered by the government through BCDA and NLRC.
The Southrail project was also expected to be financed by loans from China, while the linkage project was to be financed by
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
.
While the plans for Southrail were not realized, the initial phase of the linkage project from Caloocan to Alabang was completed in December 2010.
Before Northrail's construction could start, the project became embroiled in controversy as the
Philippine Senate
The Senate of the Philippines () is the upper house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives as the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large (the country f ...
raised concerns about alleged corruption in the project. Senator
Franklin Drilon commissioned a study from the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...
, which recommended the cancellation of the railway's construction, citing anomalies in the bidding process and the Buyer Credit Loan Agreement (BCLA) with Exim China.
Despite the controversy, preparatory construction began in early November 2006.
Civil and design works started in October 2007.
However, CNMEG reportedly demobilized from the project on July 1, 2008, due to differences on engineering and construction standards, although this was later retracted.
Due to delays in the construction work, it was soon renegotiated with the Chinese government. Construction temporarily continued in January 2009 with the support of the North Luzon Railways Corporation.
However, the project would be shelved in March 2010 due to persisting legal issues and allegations of overpricing and corruption.
In 2011, Northrail was cancelled by the government under the presidency of
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
.
Like the failed
Hopewell Project in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
, a few structures had been completed by the time of its cancellation. The government contemplated reusing the completed structures from the project, but ultimately, this was not implemented.
In September 2011, the government expressed its interest to restart the project with China reportedly open to reconfigure the project.
In March 2012, the Philippine Supreme Court authorized a lower court to hear the case for voiding the contract. Instead of paying the US$184 million owed by the government in 2012, the Department of Finance was to pay Exim China four installments of US$46 million from September 2012 onwards.
In August 2012, the Chinese and Philippine governments agreed to "disengage" from the project, although the Philippine government was still obligated to pay the corresponding loans. On November 6, 2017, DOTr, BCDA, and NLRC reached an out-of-court settlement with Sinomach (formerly CNMEG), resolving the five-year dispute. It saved the government in potential payment of claims to Sinomach and hundreds of millions of
peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...
s in legal fees and arbitration costs.
The
Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) ordered the deactivation of NLRC in May 2019. According to GCG, the company was "not producing the desired outcomes, no longer achieving the objectives and purposes for which it was designed and created, and not cost efficient and does not generate the level of social, physical and economic returns
vis-à-vis the resource inputs." On October 19, 2023, NLRC was formally abolished, with the BCDA to act as the administrator and
liquidator of NLRC and settle its
liabilities.
Development
With the termination of the Northrail project, the
Department of Transportation and Communications considered restarting the project by commissioning a feasibility study by CPCS Transcom Ltd. of Canada. Part of the study examined having a Malolos–Tutuban–Calamba–Los Baños commuter line.
The feasibility study was still ongoing when the NEDA included the project in the
Metro Manila Dream Plan, which it approved in 2014.
JICA also conducted a new study a year before a new transport infrastructure master plan was published. This plan calls for an
airport express railway linking
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ; ; ), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about south of ...
in Metro Manila to Clark International Airport with a total length of .
The government also examined building a railway on top of the
North Luzon Expressway instead of using the PNR
right of way
A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...
, which was still allocated for the Northrail project at the time.
By August 2014, the Northrail project was reinitiated as the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and awaited approval.
On February 16, 2015, the NEDA board, chaired by President Aquino, approved the NSCR Phase 1 as part of the North–South Railway Project (NSRP).
The NSCR, a part of the NSRP north line's first phase, was a electrified narrow gauge commuter railway from Tutuban to Malolos, funded through overseas development assistance.
Other components of NSRP masterplan include the reconstruction of the existing Metro Commuter line and the reestablishment of long-haul services to northern and southern Luzon, all of which were to be funded through a
public–private partnership
A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sectors, private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Revie ...
(PPP) scheme.
After President Aquino met with
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...
in Japan in June 2015, Abe expressed his commitment to fund the project. On November 19, 2015, representatives of both countries exchanged notes on the project in the presence of Abe and Aquino.
JICA was chosen by the Japanese government to look into financing the project, and on November 27, JICA and the
Department of Finance signed a loan agreement worth ₱97.3 billion ($1.99 billion) for the financing of the first phase.
Before the inauguration of President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
, Aquino's successor, Chinese diplomats reportedly offered to construct the railway from Manila to Clark within two years. However, his administration continued the NSCR project with Japan and included the project under its flagship
Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Program.
On June 25, 2017, transportation secretary
Arthur Tugade
Arthur "Art" Planta Tugade (born January 9, 1946) is a Filipino people, Filipino businessman and lawyer from Cagayan who served as the Secretary of Transportation (Philippines), Secretary of the Department of Transportation (Philippines), Depar ...
unveiled the locations of the first five stations during a press tour of the old PNR line.
In addition, numerous changes to the project were made. The railway's gauge was changed to standard gauge, and the railway was extended to
New Clark City
New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, owned and managed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). It is located within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the municipalities of Bamb ...
. The south commuter line, now under the NSCR project as the North–South Commuter Railway Extension Project (NSCR-Ex),
shifted from a PPP scheme in favor of overseas development assistance from Japan and later the
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank to promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank is headquartered in Metro Manila, Philippines and maintains 31 field offices around the world.
The bank was establishe ...
(ADB). The long-haul segment of the south line was separated under a new project known as the
PNR South Long Haul.
On January 21, 2019, a loan agreement worth ( billion) for the NSCR-Ex, which includes the PNR Clark 2 and Calamba sections, was signed by JICA and the
Department of Finance (DOF). Another loan agreement worth ( billion) for the NSCR-Ex project was signed on July 11 by the ADB and DOF. JICA would finance the electrical and mechanical systems as well as the trains for the PNR Clark 2 and Calamba sections, while ADB would finance the civil works.
The loan for the civil works of PNR Calamba, worth ( billion), was approved by the ADB on June 9, 2022. The loan agreement was signed by President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
and ADB on June 16. Two more loan agreements were signed on February 9, 2023, during the working visit of President
Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
Construction
Construction was planned to begin in the last quarter of 2017,
but pre-construction works, such as clearing of the right of way, were only started on January 5, 2018. The railway is being built in three phases and divided into two primary sections:
* PNR Clark — This is the northern section of the NSCR. Construction was divided into two phases. PNR Clark 1 involves the Tutuban–Malolos railway, while PNR Clark 2 involves the Malolos–Clark railway. The railway line, when fully completed, will run from
Tutuban station in Manila to
New Clark City station within the
Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone
Clark, officially the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ), is a freeport and special economic zone in Central Luzon, Philippines, managed by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), a government-owned and controlled corporation (G ...
, with a link to Clark International Airport.
* PNR Calamba — Also known as PNR Clark Phase 3, PNR Calamba is the southern section of the NSCR. It involves the reconstruction of the existing
Metro Commuter Line as an electrified standard gauge railway with elevated, at-grade, and depressed sections.
The railway will run from
Solis station in Manila to
Calamba station in
Laguna.
PNR Clark 1 broke ground on February 15, 2019,
followed by PNR Clark 2 on September 18, 2021.
Meanwhile, construction of PNR Calamba began on July 3, 2023, following the closure of
Alabang–Calamba commuter services the previous day. To fast-track the construction of NSCR South, the rest of the Metro Commuter Line services temporarily closed on March 27, 2024. The closure would fast-track construction by eight months, saving in costs.
On March 15, 2024, the
Department of Transportation announced the completion of the segment of PNR Clark 1 from to . Nevertheless, the remaining segments are 37.30-percent complete as of the month, while PNR Clark 2 is at 25.76 percent.
The partial opening was initially set for 2022, but this deadline was not met, presumably due to several factors including but not limited to right of way acquisition, and the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Instead, it expects partial operations by 2028 and full operations by 2031. Additionally, according to the DOTr, there are challenges regarding
right of way
A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...
, particularly in the Valenzuela to Sucat, Parañaque segment.
The government has extended financial help to formal and
informal settlers affected by the construction. However, sources said that this project couldn't be finished during the Marcos administration.
The construction of the PNR Clark 1's first section, from Solis to Valenzuela, was delayed due to right of way issues. The right of way is obstructed by of private properties, utilities, ROW sharing between the DOTr and the
Department of Public Works and Highways
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...
(DPWH)
NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, and affected PNR Facilities, among others. DOTr could not hand over the Caloocan depot because of the construction of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 which runs along the PNR's right of way and is also experiencing delays.
A school in Manila was also affected, where transition assistance from the Schools Division Office (SDO) was needed as the students were impacted and required relocation. In March 2025, PNR General Manager Deovanni Miranda stated that the segment between Tutuban and Caloocan, where informal settlers will be displaced, is under discussion with the local government. Additionally, he mentioned that the PNR area has also been 80% cleared, with the contractor expected to achieve 100% clearance.
Route
The North–South Commuter Railway will comprise two sections corresponding to the Philippine National Railways' old main lines. The first is the
fully-elevated PNR Clark which is being built over the mostly-defunct
North Main Line in northern Metro Manila and
Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
.
The second is the
PNR Calamba which will use the existing
PNR Metro Commuter Line
The PNR Metro Commuter Line was a commuter rail line operated by the Philippine National Railways. It was first inaugurated as the Metro Manila Commuter Service in 1970, and originally served the North Main Line and the South Main Line, as wel ...
right of way between Tutuban and Calamba, which were historically parts of the
South Main Line and will have elevated, at-grade and depressed sections.
Services
There are four classes of services on this line. The following are:
*Commuter is the basic
commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service and has the least priority. It stops at all stations within its route. There are three routes planned for this class; Tutuban–New Clark City, Tutuban–Calamba, and Clark International Airport–Calamba. The maximum speed for this service will be for the entire line.
*''Commuter
Express
Express, The Expresss or EXPRESS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* ''Express: Aisle to Glory'', a 1998 comedy short film featuring Kal Penn
* ''The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'', a 2008 film starring Dennis Quaid
* The Expre ...
'' is the
limited-stop
In public transit, particularly bus, tram, or train transportation, a limited-stop (or sometimes referred to as semi-fast) service is a trip pattern that stops less frequently than a local service. Many limited-stop or semi-fast services are a co ...
service for the line, succeeding the ''Commex'' service during the ''Metrotren'' era in the early 2000s. Although it will run faster than regular commuter trains, it will still use the same routes and rolling stock.
*The ''Airport Limited Express'' is the temporary designation for the planned
airport rail link
An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport between an airport and a nearby city. Direct links operate straight from the airport terminal to the city, while other links require an intermediate use of a people mover or ...
and
limited express
A limited express is a type of express train or express bus service that stops at fewer locations compared to other express services on the same or similar routes.
Japan
The term "limited express" is a common translation of the Japanese ...
service between Clark International Airport and Alabang station. As the flagship NSCR service, it will use dedicated rolling stock complete with
intercity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...
-grade amenities plus baggage space for people arriving from the airport. It will have a maximum speed of along the NSCR North. , the final name for the service is yet to be determined.
*Subway through-service is the proposed augmentation between the NSCR and the
Metro Manila Subway
The Metro Manila Subway is an under-construction underground rapid transit line in Metro Manila, Philippines. The line, which will run north–south between Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Parañaque and Pasay, consists of 17 station ...
. It will serve the southernmost areas of Metro Manila and neighboring Laguna, branching from the subway line at
FTI station while the remainder of the line will go towards the direction of
NAIA Terminal 3 in
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
. It will use the Subway trainsets instead of the NSCR ones, although both are from the ''sustina'' family.
Stations
Extensions and additional stations
The Metro Manila Dream Plan proposed a branch line that will split in
Angeles City
Angeles (), officially the City of Angeles (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 462,928 people.
A ...
. The line will have 12 stations and shall end in
Tarlac City
Tarlac City, officially the City of Tarlac (; ; ; ), is a component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 385,398 people, making it the most p ...
.
The study also proposed a extension of the NSCR to Batangas City.
This will be built parallel to the
PNR South Long Haul project which was approved in 2017, with the line being a single-track, standard gauge line without electrification, and will be built at-grade similar to the present PNR network.
The PNR has also requested for a feasibility study for a commuter line connecting Tarlac City and
San Jose, Nueva Ecija in 2019. The length of the line and the number of stations will be determined once a proposal has been submitted. Another proposed southward extension to
Pansol in Calamba, Laguna was proposed by a 2019 JICA report.
The North–South Commuter Railway will also have provisions for
infill station
An infill station (sometimes in-fill station) is a train station built on an existing passenger rail, rapid transit, or light rail line to address demand in a location between existing stations. Such stations take advantage of existing train ser ...
s: Malabon, Valenzuela Polo, Tabing Ilog, Tuktukan, and Malolos South.
Infrastructure
NSCR will be the first commuter rail system in the country to be mostly
grade-separated
In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights ( grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
. Trains are designed to run on tracks at a design speed of for regular trains and for airport express trains.
Station layout
All stations will have a standard layout, with a concourse level and a platform level. The stations are designed to adhere to both Philippine and Japanese standards.
Stations will either have
island platform
An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
s or
side platform
A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, ...
s with
platform screen doors
Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail ...
. The stations are designed to be
barrier-free, and trains shall have spaces for passengers using
wheelchair
A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...
s. Historical stations will be preserved. All stations will have access to intermodal facilities.
The FTI station in particular will be connected to the
Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange.
Rolling stock
The North–South Commuter Railway will have two types of rolling stock: commuter trains and airport express trains. Except for wheelchair spaces, the commuter trains will have a capacity of 2,242 passengers. The express trains, on the other hand, will have a capacity of 392 passengers.
A total of 464
electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...
traincars have been procured to operate on the line, with 408 of these being the 8-car
EM10000 class trainsets to be built by the
Japan Transport Engineering Company
is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan, formerly known as . The company is based in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, and a member of East Japan Railway Company (JR East) group. J-TREC manufactures rail vehicles not only for JR East and Tokyu Corpo ...
(J-TREC), successor to the Tokyu Car Corporation that provided rolling stock to the Philippines from 1955 to 1976. The trainsets, called the Sustina Commuter at the time of purchase, are based on
JR East
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...
commuter stock such as the
E233 series
The is a commuter and suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) from the earlier E231 series and the E531 series design. The first train was introduced in December 2006 for use on the Ch� ...
but adapted to
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
. The trains are also designed to be interoperable with the
Metro Manila Subway
The Metro Manila Subway is an under-construction underground rapid transit line in Metro Manila, Philippines. The line, which will run north–south between Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Parañaque and Pasay, consists of 17 station ...
. The trainsets have been designated as the EM10000 class in October 2021.
The procurement for the 56 airport express trainsets began on February 26, 2021, with a suggested preliminary design based on the
E259 and
E353 series being published on the same day.
On May 10, the Department of Transportation later announced that it would acquire the airport express trainsets from Japanese manufacturers. After several months of delays and rescheduling, three bidders have submitted their designs on October 15:
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headquartered in Minato, To ...
and
Sojitz
is a '' sogo shosha'' (general trading company) based in Tokyo, Japan. It is engaged in a wide range of businesses globally, including buying, selling, importing, and exporting goods, manufacturing and selling products, providing services, and p ...
,
Marubeni
(, OSE: 8002, NSE: 8002) is a '' sōgō shōsha'' (general trading company) headquartered in Otemachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the largest ''sogo shosha'' and has leading market shares in cereal and paper pulp trading as wel ...
and
Stadler Rail
Stadler Rail AG is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an original emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams, but moving also into Rapid transit, mass rapid transit, High-speed rail, high speed, Inter-city rail, interci ...
, and
Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company that existed from 1870 to 194 ...
and
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Grupo CAF, ) is a Spanish publicly listed company which manufactures railway vehicles and equipment and buses through its Solaris Bus & Coach subsidiary. It is based in Beasain, Basque Autonomous Comm ...
(CAF). On August 24, 2023, Mitsubishi and CAF, also the manufacturers of the
LRTA 13000 class
The LRTA 13000 class is a class of fourth-generation high-floor light rail vehicles (LRV) of the Light Rail Transit Authority servicing the LRT Line 1 (Metro Manila), LRT Line 1, manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, CAF. P ...
trains on the
LRT Line 1, were awarded the contract for the express trains.
Signaling
The North–South Commuter Railway will use the
European Train Control System
The European Train Control System (ETCS) is a train protection system designed to replace the many incompatible systems used by European railways, and railways outside of Europe. ETCS is the signalling and control component of the European ...
(ETCS) Level 2 for signaling, making it the first main line in Southeast Asia with ETCS Level 2.
Initially, the PNR Clark 1 section of the line was set to use a
communications-based train control
Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accura ...
(CBTC) system.
The subsystems consist of
automatic train control
Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...
(ATC),
automatic train protection
Automatic train protection (ATP) is the generic term for train protection systems that continually check that the speed of a train is compatible with the permitted speed allowed by signalling, including automatic stop at certain signal aspects ...
(ATP),
automatic train supervision (ATS),
train detection through
track circuit
A track circuit is an electrical device used to prove the absence of a train on a block of rail tracks to control railway signals. An alternative to track circuits are axle counters.
Principles and operation
The basic principle behind the t ...
s, and
computer-based interlocking
Computer-based interlocking is railway signal interlocking implemented with computers, rather than using older technologies such as relays or mechanics
Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matt ...
, with provisions for
automatic train operation
Automatic train operation (ATO) is a method of operating trains automatically where the driver is not required or is required for supervision at most. Alternatively, ATO can be defined as a subsystem within the automatic train control, which pe ...
(ATO).
Hitachi Rail STS,
Hitachi
() is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is active in various industries, including digital systems, power and renewable ener ...
's Italian subsidiary, was tapped in November 2022 to provide the signaling equipment for PNR Clark 1 as part of a contract package covering electrical and mechanical systems, and track works.
Meanwhile,
Alstom
Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
was tapped in March of the same year to supply its Atlas 200 solution for PNR Clark 2 and PNR Calamba.
Tracks
The line will feature an Elastic Sleeper Direct Fasten (ESDF) type
ballastless track with
concrete sleepers in the mainline and plastic/fiber-reinforced foam urethane
railroad tie
A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper ( Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties trans ...
s on turnouts in the mainline and depot.
Continuous welded rail
Continuity or continuous may refer to:
Mathematics
* Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include
** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics
** Continuous ...
s will be employed on the mainline, while jointed rails with
fishplate
A fishplate joins two lengths of track.
A fishplate, splice bar or joint bar is a metal or composites connecting plate used to bolt the ends of two rails into a continuous track. The name is derived from ''fish'', a wooden reinforcement of a "b ...
s will be employed in the depot. rails will be employed in the mainline while rails built to the JIS 50N
rail profile
The rail profile is the cross-sectional shape of a Railway track#Rail, rail as installed on a railway or railroad, perpendicular to its length.
Early rails were made of wood, cast iron or wrought iron. All modern rails are hot rolled steel ...
will be used in the depot.
Depot

The railway will have three depots with one in each region: Malanday, Mabalacat, and Banlic. The Malanday depot, located beside the
Valenzuela station in
Malanday,
Valenzuela, will serve as the main depot, hosting the operations control center for the entire line. The Mabalacat depot, located along Gil Puyat Avenue in
Clark Freeport Zone
Clark, officially the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ), is a free-trade zone, freeport and special economic zone in Central Luzon, Philippines, managed by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), a government-owned and controlled ...
,
Mabalacat
Mabalacat, officially Mabalacat City (; ), is a component city in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 293,244 people.
Mabalacat is in the urban core of Metro Clark, also known as Metro ...
,
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
, will function as a parking facility for train sets plying the Malolos–Calamba route. The Banlic depot will be located on a lot in
Calamba, Laguna
Calamba, officially the City of Calamba (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Laguna (province), Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popu ...
, near the namesake barangay and
station in
Cabuyao
Cabuyao (), officially the City of Cabuyao (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 355,330 people.
It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the Philipp ...
, featuring a control center, stabling yard, maintenance shop, and ancillary buildings.
See also
*
Philippine National Railways
*
Department of Transportation (DOTr)
*
Transportation in the Philippines
*
Rail transportation in the Greater Manila Area
Footnotes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:North-South Commuter Railway
Passenger rail transportation in the Philippines
Philippine National Railways
Transportation in Luzon
Transportation in Bulacan
Transportation in Pampanga
Transportation in Tarlac
Rail transportation in Metro Manila
2027 in rail transport
1500 V DC railway electrification