ADB clears final $1.45B for Malolos-Clark railway

Multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released the second and final tranche of $1.45 billion for the development of the northern segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system. The total financing for the Malolos-Clark Railway Project (MCRP) is $2.75 billion.

ADB Philippines Country Director Pavit Ramachandran said Wednesday the financing of the MCRP is one of its biggest financing projects in the Asia and Pacific region and is seen as a major growth driver for the country.

“We are proud to partner with the government in making the vision of a world-class mass transportation system in the country a reality. This major transformative project will spur more investments, create jobs, and contribute to sustaining the country’s growth momentum,” Ramachandran said.

The ADB approved the first tranche of the MCRP financing facility of $1.3 billion in 2019. That tranche has been fully utilized.

The MCRP, a 53.1-kilometer section of the 163-kilometer NSCR, is a flagship project of the Philippine government aimed at delivering a safer, more affordable, and eco-friendly mass transit system that will link northern and southern Luzon to Metro Manila.

Designed to disaster-resilient engineering and advanced construction methods, the MCRP will feature three types of commuter service: regular commuter trains, express trains with limited stops, and the first airport express line to Clark International Airport.

The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging a shift from private vehicle use to public transport.

ADB is also financing the South Commuter Railway Project, which makes up the southern leg of the NSCR.

Last week, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon assured that the government is fast-tracking the completion of key segments of the 147-kilometer railway, particularly the Metro Manila-Malolos and Malolos-Clark sections before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ends his term.

Dizon said the portion from Manila to Clark is now “a little over 50 percent” complete.

“We are confident we can run Manila to Malolos by the end of 2026 or early 2027 and we’re targeting Clark before the end of the President’s term,” he said.

The NSCR will link Calamba, Laguna to Clark, Pampanga, cutting travel time to under two hours and serving up to 800,000 passengers daily.

The project is among the top priorities under Department Order 2025-002, which designated the Department of Transportation’s Flagship Projects Management Office to oversee infrastructure initiatives.

“The project has been stalled for decades but we feel that with our partners now, JICA and ADB, we will see these trains start to operate within the President’s term,” Dizon said.

Dizon has been tasked to oversee major infrastructure projects, including the Metro Manila Subway, EDSA Busway, Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, and the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project.

“Our trains outside Metro Manila — the President has ordered us to speed them up, as they will be the catalyst for decongesting our roads, especially the toll roads,” Dizon said.

“With the trains running from Calamba to Clark, it will change the way people live and commute. That’s why the President is pushing everybody to work harder,” he said.Multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released the second and final tranche of $1.45 billion for the development of the northern segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system. The total