[PH] Maglev for the Philippines?

[latestnews]

Germany-based investor Siemens Transportation Group Inc., with a head office in Makati City, is proposing quieter and smoother magnetic levitation (maglev) trains instead of the conventional ones.

Chief operations officer Cesar Capellan of the state-owned Panay Railways, Inc. (PRI) said Gustav Heinisch, the country’s representative of Siemens, visited his office in La Paz district on Sept. 19.

[...]

Capellan said the project would most likely be done through the public-private partnership (PPP) build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) scheme.

Under the BOT scheme, the investor will be given 25 to 50 years to operate the railways. The contractor undertakes the construction and maintenance. It shall operate the facility over a fixed term during which it is allowed to charge facility users appropriate charges sufficient to enable the contractor to recover its investment, plus a reasonable rate of return thereon.

[...]

Capellan estimated that some US$1.5 billion is needed for the project’s Phase 1, which covers the 117 kilometers of railway tracks from Iloilo City to Roxas City in Capiz province. Phase 1 includes civil works, locomotives, human resources, and relocations, among others.

The original Panay Railway route spanned 117 kilometers with 19 permanent and 10 flag stations, connecting the then-towns of La Paz and Jaro (now districts of Iloilo City) to various other locations, culminating in Roxas City.

Capellan said the revived railway system will have an expanded area of coverage. Phase 2 will see the construction of new railway routes from Roxas City to Kalibo, Aklan, going to Caticlan in Malay, Aklan. Phase 3 will cover the route from Caticlan, Malay, Aklan to San Jose, Antique, while Phase 4 will connect San Jose, Antique to Iloilo City, passing through Iloilo province’s towns of San Joaquin and Miag-ao.

Source: https://www.panaynews.net/magnetic-levi ... h-railway/ Accessed: 2023-09-25

[latestnews]

Langkawi Maglev Project Halted Following Withdrawal of Korean Partner

The proposed high-speed magnetic levitation (maglev) rail project in Langkawi has been suspended following the withdrawal of the Korean investor involved in the initiative.

According to Haim Hilman Abdullah, Kedah State Executive Councillor for Industry and Investment, Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, the decision was made subsequent to a comprehensive feasibility study conducted by the company in the previous year. Hilman noted that the state government concurred with the assessment that the premature implementation of a project of this scale may not yield optimal benefits for all stakeholders involved.

Originally announced on April 29, 2024, the project was formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Permodalan Kedah Berhad (PKB) and South Korea’s Royal Eco Train Development (RETD), with Q-plex serving as the Malaysian strategic partner. The proposal outlined the development of a modern transportation system integrated with a commercial hub, underpinned by a six-month feasibility study led by Korean experts.

Although the maglev project has been shelved, Hilman emphasized that RETD continues to express interest in other potential investments in Kedah, particularly in transit-oriented development (TOD) and commercial ventures. He underscored the importance of aligning infrastructure investments with actual market demand and strategic planning.

Info based on: https://www.carz.com.my/2025/08/langkaw ... -pulls-out Accessed 2025-08-17