The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Friday it is preparing a feasibility study for the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway, a key component of the government’s plan to establish a logistics corridor in Luzon.
DOTr Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said the department began preparing the rail system’s feasibility study after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned in his recent State of the Nation Address his trilateral summit with United States President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April 2024.
“We are currently preparing the feasibility study for this Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Rail,” Batan said.
He said the massive project would be a joint initiative with the US, Sweden and Asian Development Bank.
Batan said the proposed railway would connect Subic Port with Clark International Airport (CRK), Port of Manila and Port of Batangas.
Batan said the earlier proposal for Subic-Clark Railway fell through due to financial acquisition issues, leading to a new study of a longer Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas line.
“The logistics corridor that we are building will not only be able to connect our port in Subic and our airport in Clark, we will also reach the Port of Manila and the Port of Batangas,” he said.
Secretary Frederick Go, the special assistant to the President for investment and economic affairs, said the Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway Project may cost more than $7 billion.
The initiative aims to enhance connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas and accelerate coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects.
The corridor’s strategic location, handling 80 percent of the Philippines’ port traffic, positions it as a critical gateway for regional trade and investment.
