Philippine National Railways (PNR) Chair Michael Ted Macapagal has proposed the creation of an integrated railway network that would connect the Philippines with the rest of Southeast Asia.
In his speech at the 2025 Global Rail Conference held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Macapagal emphasized that the Philippines should look beyond expanding its domestic lines and begin planning for cross-border connections with neighboring countries.
He explained that the proposed network aims to establish seamless passenger and freight transport across ASEAN nations such as Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, and potentially extend to China and India.
“This is a transformational project with geopolitical, economic, environmental, and social implications, the magnitude of which is something that we have not seen in the whole of Asia,” Macapagal said.
Drawing comparisons to other regions, Macapagal noted that the seven emirates of the UAE and the countries in the European Union are linked by rail systems, with similar efforts now taking place in the United States and the six Arab states in the Gulf.
“Why not do the same in Southeast Asia to boost regional cooperation, enhance trade, stimulate economic growth and diversification?” he added.
He also suggested that the Philippines, being an archipelagic nation, could explore the construction of undersea tunnels, bridges, or ferry-rail links to connect Mindanao or nearby western islands to Borneo or Malaysia, enabling access to the continental rail grid.
Macapagal acknowledged that ASEAN’s diverse geography would require advanced engineering and gradual development, saying the project should be built “corridor by corridor” starting with the most feasible connections.
“Rail is more than simply infrastructure. It is the connective tissue of nations. Southeast Asia cannot remain fragmented when the world moves in integrated physical systems. Let us build the future: a rail-linked ASEAN,” he concluded.