NCIP clears North-South Commuter Railway extension way

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) cleared the way for the proposed extension of the North-South Commuter Railway to New Clark City in Tarlac, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority announced Monday.

BCDA president and chief executive officer Joshua M. Bingcang said NCIP chairperson Nancy A. Catamco informed him of the commission’s “no objection” stance regarding the expansion.

The clearance allows the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to move forward with a feasibility study for an 18.1-kilometer extension connecting directly into New Clark City.

“Finally, they gave their no objection, not FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent), no objection, for the project to be covered under a feasibility study by DoTr and JICA,” Bingcang said. “So we’re seeing now the green light for this project to extend all the way to New Clark City.”

The 147-kilometer commuter rail system will span 35 stations connecting Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Calabarzon.

Once fully operational, the railway is expected to carry 800,000 commuters daily and cut travel time between regional terminals from four hours to two hours.

The extension plans also include a dedicated Airport Express Service designed to connect Clark International Airport with Makati in under an hour.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed government transport agencies to fast-track construction, aiming to open the line segment between Valenzuela and Clark before 2028. Partial operations running from Valenzuela to Malolos, Bulacan, are targeted to begin by the fourth quarter of 2027.