DoTr eyes railway feasibility study

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) is getting ready to conduct a feasibility study for a Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway to establish a logistics corridor in Luzon.

During a recent business forum, Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan disclosed that the feasibility study for the rail system is being prepared.

This comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cited his trilateral summit with United States President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the recent State of the Nation Address.

“We are presently readying the feasibility study for Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Rail,” Batan said, adding that the massive project will be a joint initiative with the US, Sweden, and the Asian Development Bank.

He also cited that the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway will connect Subic Port with Clark International Airport, Port of Manila and Port of Batangas.

Due to financial acquisition issues, the Subic-Clark Railway did not materialize, leading to a new study of a longer Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Rail line.

“Our Subic-Clark Railway project unfortunately we did not get the financing we expected and that’s why when we studied it again and thought of making it Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas,” Batan said.

“The logistics corridor that we are building will not only be able to connect our port in Subic and our airport in Clark and then we will reach the Port of Manila and the Port of Batangas,” he added.