MRAIL, Inc., a subsidiary of Manila Electric Company (Meralco), is undertaking a feasibility study on the extension of its freight train project from Calamba, Laguna to the Batangas International Port.
In a statement, Mrail said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Batangas provincial government on the feasibility study, which will look into the alignment of the tracks and viability of the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) right of way.
“The proposed MRAIL freight project in partnership with government and private sector partners, offers the potential of helping spur economic growth in the province and providing more jobs to the people of Batangas,” said Mrail Chairman Oscar S. Reyes, who is also president and CEO of Meralco.
Mrail has submitted a proposal with the PNR to operate a freight train from Tutuban to the Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal in Calamba, and later to Batangas.
Operated by Asian Terminals, Inc., the Batangas Container Terminal handles over 300,000 twenty-footer-equivalent units (TEUs) annually. It is located inside the Batangas International Port.
“The project aims to provide a seamless transportation of containerized cargoes by moving them via railway instead of the roads. This will help improve traffic flow by reducing the number of cargo trucks by at least 300-600 daily,” Mrail said.
