The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) have filed 105 expropriation cases for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR)—the most ever filed for a single infrastructure project by the agency. Transportation Secretary Banoy Lopez said this illustrates the strong commitment to on-time delivery, noting it aligns with President Marcos Jr.’s directive to speed up key projects. He also thanked the OSG for its vital support, emphasizing the railway will greatly benefit commuters once operational.
The cases were reviewed during a three-day workshop in Clark, Pampanga, where the agencies assessed each case, resolved legal hurdles, and laid out steps to move forward faster. Close coordination helped speed up case processing and assignment, keeping the project on track. Assistant Secretary IC Calaguas of the Right-of-Way and Site Acquisition office stressed that quick resolution of legal matters is essential to maintain timelines, adding that the DOTr will keep pushing to clear delays for faster project completion.
During his fifth State of the Nation Address, President Marcos Jr. announced the Valenzuela–Malolos segment may start running next year. The government aims to extend the line to Clark by 2028 and complete the full 147-kilometer, 35-station railway by 2032. Connecting Metro Manila to Pampanga and Laguna, it will cut travel time from four hours to two and serve more than 800,000 people daily.
