Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade led the contract signing for the Project Management Consultant Contract of the P82 Billion Mindanao Railway Project, the Tagum-Davao-Digos (MRP-TDD) Segment, Oct. 20, 2021.
The 100-kilometer Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment will link Davao del Norte, Davao City and Digos City with its eight stations.
Construction of the project is slated to start in the second quarter of 2022.
Once operational, it can accommodate up to 122,000 passengers by 2022 and reduce travel time from three hours to one hour from Tagum City, Davao del Norte to Digos City, Davao del Sur.
The 1,544-kilometer Mindanao Railway Project is one of the big-ticket infrastructure projects of the Duterte Administration.
It is expected to help improve inter-island connectivity, generate livelihood and boost Mindanao’s economic development.
While Mindanao accounts for one third of the country's land area and 25 per cent of the total population, it has only 18 per cent share of the country's Gross Domestic Product, versus Luzon's 66 percent.