THE government has tapped a South Korean-Japanese joint venture to design a comprehensive master plan for the Philippine national railway network, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced. The plan will connect the Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT), Metro Manila Subway, the new Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway, the MRT4, and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System. In a notice of award, the DOTr granted a contract worth $11.98 million for Korea’s Dohwa Engineering Co. Ltd. and Japan’s Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. to collaborate on a study for the train network to be called the Greater Capital Region Railways. Tourism reforms urged as visitor numbers drop The deal is subject to concurrence from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and must comply with documentary requirements outlined in the ADB Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan procurement guidelines. The DOTr earlier said that it had acquired a total of 90.76 percent right-of-way (ROW) and properties for the Metro Manila Subway as of December 2025. Get the latest news delivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Parallel progress was noted for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, where 56 percent of the north segment has been cleared and is now ready for construction. The Metro Manila Subway will cut across eight cities, stretching from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City. Advertisement The 33-kilometer and 17-station subway aims to cut travel time between Quezon City and NAIA in Pasay City from the present one hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes. TWO-FACED TRUMP Once operational, the underground railway system can service up to 370,000 passengers daily, the DOTr said. The North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, on the other hand, seeks to help decongest Metro Manila roads. The flagship project under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Build Better More” program is a mega railway network spanning 148 km., with 37 stations and 464 train cars and encompassing three segments — the PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark), and PNR Calamba (Solis-Calamba). It will run across 26 cities and municipalities in Central Luzon, National Capital Region, and Calabarzon. Advertisement The railway network will serve over 800,000 passengers daily once fully operational. The Clark to Valenzuela segment will start operations by 2028.