Philippines bets big on rail, but can it fix a broken transport network?

AI Summary

Manila's public transport system remains chaotic with a complex mixture of jeepneys, trains, and buses causing long commute times. The Philippines is investing heavily in rail infrastructure to address these transportation inefficiencies.

A two-hour commute for a 14km (8.7-mile) journey. For Julius Dalay and millions of other Filipinos, this is just how public transport works in Manila: a mishmash of jeepneys, trains and buses that commuters are left to figure out for themselves. Dalay, an environmental planner, is resigned to the chaos. Reaching his destination usually involves hailing a jeepney, then cramming into a packed train and enduring a slow bus crawl along the capital’s main thoroughfares. “You either wait the jeepney...