Railway blitz reaches Bataan

MANILA, Philippines — Bataan could be the next province that would have its own dedicated railway, as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) sets out to study the feasibility of such a project.

In a briefing hosted by the Philippine Information Agency, Philippine National Railways (PNR) general manager Deovanni Miranda said his office would kick off preliminary works for the Bataan Railway Project this year.

Miranda said the project would be led by the DOTr and the PNR, with the provincial government of Bataan assisting them on the local level.

Based on initial studies, the Bataan Railway Project will be built parallel to the Bataan Provincial Expressway—now known as the Roman Superhighway—that connects the northern and southern segments of the province. The highway spans 68 kilometers between Dinalupihan in the north to Mariveles in the south.

The railway, for its part, is planned to be located on the left side of the highway. Miranda said if the railway is pursued, it would be separated from the highway by at least 300 meters.

The PNR plans to issue the bidding documents for the feasibility study of the railway within the year, hoping that the government would approve it for implementation if it is found viable.

In 2023, the DOTr secured $6 million in funding for the conduct of feasibility studies for several rail projects, namely, Panay Railway, Bataan Railway Project and North Long Haul Interregional Railway Project.

Recently, Bataan is enjoying an infrastructure binge from the government, headlined by a bridge that would link the province to Cavite.

The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, costing P175.66 billion, will stretch for 32.15 kilometers on top of Manila Bay, linking Mariveles and Naic, Cavite. The project aims to reduce the travel time between Bataan and Cavite to just 45 minutes, from 5.5 hours currently.

The bridge is financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. If things go as scheduled, it should be opened to motorists by 2029.

The government, on the other hand, is pursuing rail projects outside of Metro Manila to stimulate trade and travel in the countryside.

The largest rail project in Philippine history, the P873.6-billion North-South Commuter Railway, will traverse Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog, linking the Clark International Airport and Calamba, Laguna in a single line.