PHILIPPINES: The Department of Transportation is to call tenders at the end of this year for a feasibility study into a proposed 250 km freight railway between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas.
Philippine National Railways Chairman Michael Macapagal told local media in July that the study would be funded using US$6m which the Asian Development Bank allocated in 2023 for the development of rail proposals. He said the USA and Japan are also backing the project as part of the Luzon Economic Corridor.
Initial estimates put the cost of the project at US$3·2bn. The government envisages that design work could be completed by 2026, enabling construction to begin in 2027.
