🚆 Major railway projects currently under construction
North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR)
The largest railway project in Philippine history.
Length: 147 km
Route: Clark International Airport – Tutuban – Alabang – Calamba
Gauge: Standard gauge
Electrified: 25 kV AC
Status: Under construction
Expected to eventually replace much of the old PNR commuter network through Metro Manila.
However it is promised that the at grade line will be returned to allow freight (passengers) into the capital.
Metro Manila Subway
The country's first underground railway.
Valenzuela to NAIA and FTI
Around 33 km
Tunnel boring continues despite delays.
Partial operations are now expected later than originally planned.
MRT Line 7
North Avenue to San Jose del Monte
22 km
Construction well advanced after numerous delays.
Initial opening is expected before the entire project is finished.
LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension
Phase 1 has already opened.
Future stages continue toward Niog in Bacoor, bringing the line much further south into Cavite.
Unified Grand Central Station
This massive interchange will connect:
LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7, NSCR
When complete it should become the busiest railway station in the Philippines.
🟡 Projects approved but progressing slowly
MRT Line 4
Ortigas–Taytay
Still awaiting full civil construction.
Right-of-way acquisition has delayed commencement.
PNR South Long Haul
Perhaps the most disappointing for long-time PNR enthusiasts.
Originally planned to rebuild the old Bicol Line as a modern standard-gauge railway extending to Matnog, with a Batangas branch.
Originally funded through Chinese loans, the financing collapsed. The Philippine Government has since been seeking alternative funding, meaning the project is stalled rather than formally cancelled.
❌ Projects effectively cancelled or abandoned
Subic–Clark Railway
Originally intended as a freight corridor linking Subic Port with Clark.
Chinese funding was withdrawn and the original proposal has effectively been abandoned pending any future redesign.
North Luzon Railways (NorthRail)
Probably the Philippines' most famous failed railway.
Construction actually started, with numerous concrete viaducts erected before the project collapsed amid corruption allegations and funding issues.
Many of those abandoned structures stood for over a decade before eventually being demolished to make way for today's NSCR project.
🔵 Proposed future projects
These remain on the drawing board:
LRT Line 2 West Extension
LRT Line 6
MRT Line 10
MRT Line 11
Panay Railway revival
Additional extensions to the NSCR network.
Overall picture
The current administration has not abandoned railway development, but it has shifted away from relying on Chinese finance. The major Japanese-funded projects—particularly the NSCR and Metro Manila Subway—continue to move ahead, albeit behind their original schedules. In contrast, the Chinese-backed projects such as the PNR South Long Haul, Mindanao Railway, and Subic–Clark Railway lost their original funding and remain stalled while new financing is pursued.
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