PNR eyes cargo trains in North, South commuter railway

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is lobbying for a cargo train system to be integrated into the North-South commuter railway (NSCR) to help boost the economy.

PNR chairman Michael Ted Macapagal said the proposal received positive feedback from the Department of Transportation as well as the Departments of Agriculture and of Science and Technology.

“The integration of a cargo train into the NSCR is a crucial step toward creating a comprehensive logistics network that will boost economic efficiency, improve the livelihoods of farmers and fisherfolk and significantly lower food prices,” Macapagal said in a statement.

He added that cargo trains could be integrated into the NSCR – projected to establish rail journeys from Clark in Pampanga and passing through Metro Manila to Calamba in Laguna – to “streamline logistics operations, reduce transportation costs, and provide a much needed boost to the country’s agricultural and industrial sectors.”

According to Macapagal, farmers and fisherfolk would benefit the most from the proposal, ensuring them of direct access to urban markets, which allows a projected 400-percent increase in income and reduction of product prices by up to 40 percent.

The cargo train in the NSCR would also guarantee “faster and more economical transport of goods, ensuring competitiveness in local and international markets,” he added.

Aside from this, Macapagal said the proposed NSCR cargo trains would compliment the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) railway corridor – a $3.2-billion project designed to enhance connectivity among key economic hubs and promote sustainable growth. The construction of the railway corridor is set to begin in 2027.

“The integration of cargo operations into the NSCR and the development of SCMB addresses a pressing global issue: the lack of efficient and economical mass transportation for both people and goods. By re-engineering and repurposing railway infrastructure, the Philippines is taking a leadership role in logistics innovation,” Macapagal said.

The NSCR would replace the PNR, which shut down its rail journeys in Metro Manila in March this year.