North-South railway operational schedule moved

The Economy and Development (ED) Council, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved last week (Sept. 16, 2026) the revised implementation timeline for the North-South Commuter Railway project, with the first partial operation targeted for December 2027, a Palace official said.

The NSCR was originally targeted to be fully completed and operational by 2027; earlier 2022 and 2024 dates applied to partial operations or particular project sections, not the entire Clark–Calamba railway.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the timeline was adjusted to ensure prudent use of public funds, address procurement challenges, and resolve right-of-way issues.

PHOTO FROM PCO

“Nagkaroon ng kaunting pagbabago tungkol sa timeline, dahil alam naman natin na nagkaroon ng medyo pagtitipid, mag-iingat sa pondo ng bayan at nahirapan sa mga procurements and maliban pa diyan ay nagkakaroon ding isyu sa right of way,” Castro said in a Palace press briefing.

Based on the timeline, Castro said the first partial operation of the North-South Commuter Railway Operations will be in December 2027.

The second partial operation from Malolos to Clark will be in the fourth quarter of 2028, while the third partial operations of the Clark-Solis and Alabang to Calamba will be in the fourth quarter of 2031.

And full operation of the Clark-Calamba will be in the third quarter of 2033, Castro added.

“So, usually ang mga amendments nito ay iyong mga timelines lang at medyo may pag-a-adjust din nang kaunti sa budget,” the Palace official explained.

“So, iyong iba ay naaprubahan na, maliban nga doon sa isyu ng pagpapa-announce or pag-a-announce kung papaano kapag may ulan or mayroong mga ibang causes para ma-suspend ang classes or mga trabaho,” Castro added.

Aside from the North-South Commuter Railway project, among those discussed by the EDC are public-private partnership (PPP) projects such as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport PPP project, Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education and Training System Project, as well as the Road Network Development Project in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

DSWD’s Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) Project and DepEd’s proposal on the implementation of class suspensions were also discussed.