SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna – The Philippine National Railways (PNR) continues to fast-track addressing right-of-way issues that have caused delays in the completion of the South Long Haul Project. 

A priority railway project of the Marcos administration, the 577-kilometer and 33-station rail connection from Metro Manila to Batangas and Bicol, the Calamba-Legazpi route of the SLH project is expected to be operational by 2026. 

PNR General Manager Deovanni Miranda said that the railway project has faced issues involving land acquisition, relocation of project-affected persons such as informal settler families, utility relocation and coordination with local government units (LGUs).

“Currently, what we are doing for this project is pre-implementation, most of it is right-of-way activities, including (resettlement of) the informal settlers,” he said. 

Miranda said right-of-way activities include the purchase of additional land for the ROW project, for the informal settlers, and utility relocation.

The PNR official assured stakeholders of faster project implementation once issues with the right-of-way are resolved and implementation funding has been allocated.

The rail agency is working closely with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), National Housing Authority (NHA) and concerned LGUs in the province to fast-track expropriation proceedings and ensure affected families are properly compensated and relocated.

The PNR together with DHSUD and NHA turned over last Monday 1,099 housing units in St. Barts Southville Heights, San Pablo City, Laguna to families affected by the railway development.

Once completed, the rail line will reduce travel time from Manila to Legazpi from the present 14 to 18 hours to six hours, using regular commuter trains and 4.5 hours, using the line’s express trains.