The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has awarded a USD11.98 million contract to a Korean–Japanese joint venture (JV) to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the Philippines’ national railway network. The contract was granted to Dohwa Engineering and Nippon Koei, subject to concurrence from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The study will develop the Greater Capital Region Railways plan, integrating existing and planned systems including LRT and MRT lines, the Metro Manila Subway, MRT-4, the Subic–Clark–Manila–Batangas Railway, and the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
The master plan supports major projects such as the 33 km Metro Manila Subway with 17 stations from Valenzuela to Parañaque, including a spur to NAIA Terminal 3, and the 148 km NSCR network spanning Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon. The subway is designed to cut Quezon City–NAIA travel time to about 35 minutes, while the NSCR is expected to serve over 800,000 passengers daily once fully operational.