The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will conduct a new feasibility study for the Mindanao Railway Project, allowing multiple countries to potentially participate in its implementation, according to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development–Davao Region (DEPDev-Davao). The move replaces an earlier China-led study that was scrapped after the project’s suspension.
Phase 1 of the railway, covering the Tagum–Davao–Digos corridor, will be financed by ADB, with consultant procurement expected to begin soon. Phase 3, covering Laguindingan–Cagayan de Oro–Villanueva, remains under review through a Project Development and Monitoring Facility with a French firm.
The feasibility study is scheduled to start in 2026, followed by concession activities from 2026 to 2028. Railway operations are targeted to begin by 2031. The Mindanao Railway, first proposed in 1936, is planned as a 2,278 km network across the island, with renewed momentum following the cancellation of China-backed financing in 2023.