The government is opening the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System to international and local partners, marking a key shift in transport infrastructure policy toward greater private sector involvement.
Speaking during the third leg of the NSCR Market Sounding event hosted at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Manila, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the country’s rail sector is “open for business.”
“We are open for business to anyone, from anywhere in the world,” Batan said, underscoring the administration’s push to invite global expertise in managing large-scale public transport systems.
Twenty-two firms from both foreign and local markets participated in the event, with several countries renowned for advanced railway systems expressing interest.
Once completed, the NSCR is projected to cut travel time from Clark International Airport in Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna to under three hours, down from the current four-hour journey. The 35-station railway is expected to serve 750,000 passengers daily at full operations and generate around 350,000 jobs during construction and beyond.
Batan framed the project as transformational, both in scope and impact. “The goal is simple: to give back time — time that has been taken from millions of commuters over several decades,” he said, reiterating the administration’s focus on commuter-centric infrastructure development.
The O&M offering signals a policy shift towards leveraging private sector efficiency and expertise in managing long-term public transport assets, aligning with broader goals of sustainable urban mobility and economic competitiveness.
