MANILA - The construction of a railway that will connect a busy commercial district in the capital to neighboring Bulacan province will start by the fourth quarter of this year, a government spokeswoman said Thursday.

The 38-kilometer Tutuban to Malolos railway is part of President Rodrigo Duterte's P8-trillion plan to modernize the country's creaking infrastructure network that has held back growth and choked traffic.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency recently completed a feasibility study of the project, Department of Transportation spokeswoman Cherie Mercado told ANC.

Japan was also helping in the feasibility study for the 55-kilometer Malolos to Clark railway link, and offered to build the first 100-kilometers of the first ever Mindanao railway system.

"We do want to push the infrastructure projects of the government to be able to spur development not just in Luzon. We do know that our President is very much focused in developing Mindanao and Visayas to be at par with the developments of Luzon," she said.

The Malolos to Clark railway feasibility study will be finished by April, with construction to take around four years, she said.

Phase one of the Mindanao railway will connect the cities of Tagum, Davao and Digos City in Davao del Sur province. The 2,000-km system will also include Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, and General Santos.

The Philippines is also considering a subway project with Japan to connect Quezon City to Bonifacio Global City.

"We are still studying the viability of this now, the subway. For one, it is a more expensive project than other public transport," she said.