The Philippine government is targeting the first or second quarter of 2027 to complete bidding for the operations and maintenance of the North-South Commuter Railway and the privatization of Metro Rail Transit Line 3, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez confirmed on Wednesday. Both projects aim to bring in private expertise to improve service and capacity on some of the country's busiest rail lines, according to Context.ph.
The North-South Commuter Railway is a flagship Build Better More project spanning 148 kilometers with 37 stations and 464 train cars, running through 26 cities and municipalities across Central Luzon, the National Capital Region and Calabarzon. It is expected to serve over 800,000 passengers daily once fully operational, with the Clark to Valenzuela segment set to start running by 2028, offering major relief for Metro Manila's crowded roads.
Around seven firms have shown interest in the pre-bid process for the NSCR, Lopez said. BusinessWorld reports that the department is in discussions with Japanese rail operators including Tokyo Metro, JR East and JR West, as well as French transport companies Keolis and Alstom. The department has said it will not bundle the NSCR and MRT-3 contracts with LRT-2, describing the lines as too different to combine.
For MRT-3, the Department of Transportation has already submitted its privatization proposal to the Public-Private Partnership Center, with at least 26 Japanese firms having expressed interest during earlier market-sounding activities in Tokyo. Based on the department's timeline, bid submission for the MRT-3 project is targeted for March 2027.
Meanwhile, the government will first conduct market-sounding exercises before bidding out operations for the Metro Manila Subway. The 33-kilometer underground line, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency at a cost of 488.48 billion pesos, will cut travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA Terminal 3 from over 90 minutes to just 41 minutes, with full operations targeted for the third quarter of 2031.