By: Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 02:10 AM July 14, 2026 Share: INQUIRER FILE PHOTO The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expects to receive bids for the P229.32-billion contract to operate the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), soon to be the country’s largest railway system, by end-September. Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the agency is continuing its discussions with prospective bidders ahead of the submission target. Another round of one-on-one meetings will be held this week. READ: Right-of-way acquisition for Angeles segment of NSCR now at 90% Article continues after this advertisement According to Batan, the consultations are focused mainly on addressing technical issues raised by prospective operators, given the scale and complexity of the project. “Remember, our winning operator will operate one of the largest metro rail systems in the region, so there’s a lot of technical questions” Batan told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the automated fare collection system for Light Rail Transit Line 2. Initially, the DOTr targeted awarding the NSCR operations and maintenance (O&M) contract by October. by Taboola Sponsored Links You May Like Top Doctors Say Cognitive Decline Isn't Age: Just Stop Drinking These 2 Popular DrinksTop Neurologists in the U.S Mountain View: Program Will Install Solar At No Cost If You Live In These ZipSunValue Program Doctors Reveal 7 Everyday Drinks That May Be Linked to Memory Loss (Full List)Blog - Top Neurologists To encourage more participation, the DOTr had secured support from the Asian Development Bank, which proposed a partial credit guarantee of up to $800 million to reduce the government’s payment risk under the long-term public-private partnership arrangement. At a pre-bid conference last year, the project drew interest from: Japanese firms Tokyo Metro, JR East, JR West, Mitsubishi Corp. and Sumitomo Corp.; French operators Transdev, RATP, Keolis and Alstom; and local companies First Balfour Inc. and San Miguel Corp. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Filinvest Land hands over Bicutan property to DOTr For its part, Sumitomo recently told Finance Secretary Frederick Go, who also serves as the country’s investment czar, that it intends to vie for the NSCR O&M contract. Article continues after this advertisement The Japanese conglomerate already plays a significant role in the NSCR, supplying train sets through a P12-billion contract with Japan Transport Engineering Co. It is also constructing the Balagtas, Guiguinto and Malolos stations. INQ Subscribe to our daily newsletter