The government targets to complete the bidding for the operations and maintenance of the North-South Commuter Railway and the privatization of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 by the second quarter of 2027, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez confirmed Wednesday.
Lopez told reporters the timeline falls within the first or second quarter of next year, with around seven firms showing interest in the pre-bid process for the NSCR. As a flagship Build Better More project, the 148-kilometer railway will have 37 stations and 464 train cars, running through 26 cities and municipalities across Central Luzon, the National Capital Region and Calabarzon. It is expected to serve over 800,000 passengers daily once fully operational, with the Clark to Valenzuela segment set to start running by 2028, and will be a major relief for Metro Manila’s crowded roads.
For the MRT-3, the Department of Transportation has already submitted its privatization proposal to the Public-Private Partnership Center, with at least 26 Japanese firms having expressed interest during earlier market-sounding activities in Tokyo. Both projects aim to bring in private expertise to improve service and capacity for some of the country’s busiest rail lines.
Meanwhile, the government will first conduct market-sounding exercises before bidding out operations for the Metro Manila Subway. Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and costing P488.48 billion, the 33-kilometer underground line will cut travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA Terminal 3 from over 90 minutes to just 41 minutes. With 17 stations stretching from Valenzuela through Parañaque, Taguig and Pasay, full operations are targeted for the third quarter of 2031.
