The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday, Nov. 24, said its North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and South Long Haul (SLH) railroad projects were expected to bring back the country’s rail industry.

Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista told reporters during the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) 131st anniversary that the NSCR and SLH would “elevate the country’s railway to global standards,” generating jobs and boosting economic growth while easing traffic congestion in the metro.

"Tayo ay gagawa ng isang railroad network na world-class - maipagmamalaki hindi lamang sa Asya, kundi pati na sa buong mundo. Mga bago, moderno, at mabilis na tren na tatakbo mula Clark hanggang Calamba patuloy hanggang Bicol," the transport chief said.

"Trabaho. Maunlad na ekonomiya. At maaasahang transportasyong pampubliko. Ito ang pangako ng NSCR at South Long-Haul Project para sa Pilipino," he added.

Bautista noted that the rail projects would provide “critical connectivity” among the Filipinos since these would link Metro Manila to several regions in northern and southern Luzon.

The NSCR is a 147-kilometer railway system with 35 stations that will run on 51 commuter train sets and seven express train sets.

This is projected to cut commuters’ travel time in Calamba, Laguna to Clark, and Pampanga from 4.5 hours to less than two hours. It claimed to cater to about 600,000 passengers daily.

Meanwhile, the SLH project is a 577-kilometer and 33-station rail connecting Metro Manila to Batangas and Bicol, reducing travel time to Legazpi City from more than 14 hours to 4.5 hours.