Faster rail build seen after completing 345 expropriations

The mass completion of 345 expropriation pleadings is expected to speed up land acquisition for major rail projects, potentially accelerating construction timelines and bringing earlier transport benefits to commuters.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) finalized the cases during a three-day write workshop in Clark, Pampanga, the largest single batch processed in the department’s history.

Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Thursday that the development advances land acquisition along the Clark–Malolos corridor for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and for critical sites of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).

“With this partnership with the OSG, right-of-way and site acquisition for the DOTr’s big-ticket projects will be further accelerated. 

We need to fast-track this so construction of transport projects can proceed and passengers can start benefiting from them,” Lopez said.

Since March 2025, right-of-way acquisition for the NSCR North section has jumped from 7.59 percent to 65.5 percent, reflecting accelerated progress over the past year.

Transportation Assistant Secretary for Right-of-Way and Site Acquisition IC Calaguas, on the other hand, said the finalized pleadings cover key parcels needed for flagship rail projects.

“These are all crucial right-of-way parcels for NSCR and MMSP. To the men and women of OSG, please continue to be our partner in attaining 100 percent right-of-way for our rail projects,” Calaguas said.

For informal settler families, 1,537 of 2,647 affected households, or 58.51 percent, have received compensation.

The NSCR North (Malolos–Clark) segment is targeted for operations by 2028, while the southern section is expected by 2031. 

The MMSP, with right-of-way clearance now at 90.80 percent from 51 percent, is slated for completion by 2032.