The Eastern Visayas Metro Rail System is a proposed railway in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The railway would connect the islands of Samar and Leyte.
The Eastern Visayas railway was first proposed in 1999. The plan was revived in 2023 with the announcement of a task force to investigate the feasibility of the project.
The Eastern Visayas consists of three main islands: Samar, Leyte, and Biliran. No route has been officially proposed, apart from it connecting the two main islands. Samar and Leyte are currently connected by the San Juanico Bridge (2,164 m).
The largest cities on each island are Calbayog City (Samar) and Tacloban City (Leyte). The current distance between these cities is 171.9 km via Maharlika Hwy/Pan-Philippine Hwy/Route 1/AH26 (4 hr 21 min according to Google Maps).
Eastern Visayas map
[Map of Eastern Visayas region.]
News archive
2024
Feasibility studies to be bid out for Samar-Leyte, Panay rail projects – [14/03/24]
“The Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it will soon offer feasibility-study contracts for the proposed Samar-Leyte and Panay railway projects.
“The study is under procurement. A typical high-quality feasibility study will take two years,” Leonel Cray P. de Velez, assistant secretary for planning and project development, said in a Viber message on Thursday.”
2023
Neda unveils 6-year dev’t plan for Eastern Visayas – [22/08/23]
“This includes the second phase of the South Samar Coastal Road Project in Northern Samar involving P7.35 billion; the construction of a new San Juanico Bridge at P9.17 billion; the rehabilitation of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, the regional airport based in Tacloban at P4 billion; and the construction of a P200-million Eastern Visayas railway system, among others.”
RDC backs feasibility study of a P500 million regional railway project – [27/03/23]
RDC VIII approves the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028; creates the Eastern Visayas Metro Rail System Task Force – [15/02/23]
“In the same meeting, the Council also approved the creation of a tasks force for the proposed Eastern Visayas Metro Railway System (EVMRS). The proposed EVMRS will be situated in the islands of Samar and Leyte and will be calendared for implementation in 2026 with an estimated project cost of PhP10 billion. The said Task Force, chaired by the Department of Transportation Central Office, will do the legwork necessary to facilitate funding and preparation of a master plan and feasibility study for the railway system.”
Regional body to form task force for E. Visayas railway study – [03/02/24]
“The Regional Development Council (RDC) will form a task force to prepare a concept note for the Eastern Visayas railway system eyed more than 20 years ago.”
“Nobody can even say where the routes are since the direction depends on the output of the feasibility study. In terms of the station and which phase will be developed first, that is for the study to say”.
2017
Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan 2017 – 2022 [PDF]
“Conduct/preparation of the feasibility study/detailed engineering for the Leyte-Samar railway to connect the Luzon and Mindanao railways.”
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