SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The proposed Subic–Clark–Manila–Batangas (SCMB) Railway Project is set to connect the town of Hermosa in Bataan to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as progress on the infrastructure initiative continues.

During a meeting at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Boardroom, the SCMB Technical Working Group met with key officials from the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and The Cadmus Group, together with Hermosa Mayor Anne Adorable-Inton.

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Port Operations Ronnie Yambao said the discussion centered on the development of an eight-kilometer access road worth P1.8 billion that will stretch from Hermosa to Subic Freeport’s Naval Supply Depot and include two bridges.

The group also tackled the protection of Indigenous People (IP) communities and the provision of compensation packages, as well as the logistics terminal between Hermosa and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Trade volume, port statistics, and the alignment of the logistics road map and bypass road from SBFZ to Hermosa were likewise reviewed.

The SCMB Railway Project is a planned 250-kilometer freight railway connecting four major economic hubs in Luzon, aimed at decongesting the Port of Manila and strengthening domestic logistics.

The initiative remains in the development stage, supported by a feasibility study jointly undertaken by the United States, Sweden, and the Asian Development Bank, with technical assistance from the US Trade and Development Agency.

Once completed, the project will link the Port of Subic, Clark International Airport, the Port of Manila, and the Port of Batangas, serving primarily as a freight cargo railway to ensure the timely movement of goods.

The railway is among the flagship components of the broader Luzon Economic Corridor Initiative, designed to spur investment and promote nationwide economic growth.