Batangas Express in DoTr pipeline

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) is preparing to conduct a feasibility study on a Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas rail line to create a logistics corridor in Luzon.

During a recent business forum, Undersecretary of Transportation Timothy John Batan announced that a feasibility study for the rail system is being prepared.

This came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his July 22 State of the Nation Address, touched on the April 11, 2024 trilateral summit in Washington DC between himself, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

“We are currently preparing the feasibility study for the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway line,” Batan said, adding that the massive project will be a joint initiative with the US, Sweden and the Asian Development Bank.

He noted that the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway line will connect the Port of Subic to Clark International Airport, the Port of Manila and the Port of Batangas.

Financial problems

Due to financial problems, the Subic-Clark railway was not built, leading to a new study for a longer Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway line.

“Unfortunately, for our Subic-Clark rail project, we did not get the funding that we expected and that is why when we re-examined it, we considered making it Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas,” Batan said.

“The logistics corridor we are building will not only connect our port in Subic and our airport in Clark, but also the Port of Manila and the Port of Batangas,” he added.

The Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway is a key project within the Luzon Economic Corridor, which aims to improve connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas in the Philippines.

The 250-kilometer project connects two ports, one in Subic and one in Batangas, and passes through Metro Manila.