Rise of Rail Seen by 2030s
The Department of Transportation projects more than a three-fold increase
in the total length of railway tracks and almost a five-fold increase in
daily train ridership by the 2030s.
DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino said the country's
existing railway lines are expected to increase by more than 300 percent
from 270.16 to 1,233 kilometers when investment-approved railway projects
are completed.
These include the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, the Metro
Manila Subway, among other big-ticket rail projects.
Aquino said that these projects are expected to see near 500 percent
increase in daily train ridership from 938,318 today to 4,860,196 by the
2030s.
When completed these projects are also expected to see an increase in the
number of stations from just 85 today to 216, and the number of train cars
from 290 to 1,391, by the 2030s.
It's good that successive administrations are now giving priority to the
development of rail transport. This should continue.