Right-of-way issues delayed NSCR Angeles segment — Lazatin

Delays in a portion of the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project in Angeles City were partly due to right-of-way and coordination issues, a lawmaker said during an inspection on May 20.

Pampanga 1st Dist. Rep. Carmelo Lazatin Jr. made the remark as he joined Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez in inspecting the NSCR Angeles Station and related transport infrastructure.

“Ang usapan namin noong araw, kailangan ako ang bahala sa lahat ng right-of-way and everything. Pero ang usapan naman sa ano matutulong ng lokal na pamahalaan, ayaw nila tumulong doon kaya na-delay na na-delay ito,” Lazatin told reporters.

(Our agreement before was that I would handle all right-of-way and everything. But when it came to what the local government could contribute, there was reluctance to help, which led to repeated delays.)

The NSCR is a flagship railway project aimed at improving mass transit and regional connectivity across Luzon.

The entire rail project is about 147 kilometers long in total, and will run from New Clark City in Tarlac down to Calamba, Laguna, passing through key areas in Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Luzon, including Pampanga, Bulacan, and parts of the National Capital Region.

The project’s modern iteration was formally advanced in 2017, when major loan agreements and contracts were signed and initial construction work began.

It was initially expected to be fully completed around 2021–2022, based on early project timelines but faced delays, mainly due to right-of-way issues, relocations, and construction delays.

According to Lazatin, progress only improved toward the end of his term as Angeles City mayor as coordination strengthened.

“Ngayon maganda na po yung nangyayari sa syudad ng Angeles, malaking improvement po.”

(What is happening now in Angeles City is good; there has been a big improvement.)

Despite earlier setbacks, Lazatin said significant progress has since been made.

“Malaking tulong po ito sa atin lalo na sa Clark dahil itong airport po. Minsan pag bumabyahe po sila sa Maynila, minsan po traffic, mababawasan at malaki rin ang trabahong maibibigay nitong proyekto sa mga kababayan.”

(This is a big help for us, especially in Clark because of the airport. When people travel to Manila, traffic will be reduced, and the project will also generate significant employment for residents.)

Lazatin also highlighted the line’s expected connectivity to Clark International Airport.

“Sa Clark Airport natin, mas matagal pa yung biyahe papunta sa Terminal 3 sa NAIA… six hours.”

(From Clark Airport, travel to NAIA Terminal 3 can take as long as six hours.)

He stressed the need for an integrated national rail system.

“So interconnected po ’yan. Lahat ng ating entire railway ecosystem must be interconnected. Subway and everything.”

(Everything should be interconnected. The entire railway ecosystem must be integrated, including the subway and other rail lines.)

The inspection was also attended by DOTr officials handling right-of-way and site acquisition, as well as local government representatives from Angeles City, including engineering, disaster risk reduction, and traffic management offices.—MCG, GMA News