The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning a dedicated freight railway that will connect the major ports of Subic, Manila, and Batangas—enabling cargo to move between the country’s largest international port facilities by rail rather than by road.
Transporatation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John “TJ” Batan made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 29, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the DOTr.
Batan said the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Freight Railway is part of the DOTr’s broader vision of connecting all modes of transportation—including rail and maritime—into a single integrated national network.
“Isa po dun sa mga proyektong natin ngayon ay yung tinatawag po nating Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Freight Railway. At ‘yan po ay naglalayon na pag-konektahin yung ating mga major ports sa Subic, sa Maynila, at sa Batangas,” Batan said.
The Transport official said moving cargo between these ports by rail will reduce the number of heavy trucks on national highways, lower transportation costs for importers and exporters, and speed up cargo movement that currently depends entirely on road networks prone to traffic and delays.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez said the freight railway plan reflects the administration’s understanding that a strong national economy requires not just passenger mobility but efficient and cost-effective movement of goods from ports to markets.
Lopez said the DOTr is pursuing the project as part of the same connectivity framework that links intermodal passenger terminals to rail stations, with cargo logistics treated as an equally important component of the overall transportation ecosystem.
