Originally proposed in 1936 as part of Manuel L. Quezon's efforts to strengthen the presence of Commonwealth government in Mindanao against the rising influence of Imperial Japan before World War II, the line was shelved.

It will be initially built as a single-track standard gauge system to be operated by diesel-powered rolling stock, but will have provisions for upgrading to double-track and electrification through overhead lines.

An official development assistance (ODA) loan from China was planned for funding most of the project; however, the Philippine government backed out of pursuing it in 2023.

Davao Penal Colony survivor Raymond C. Heimbuch wrote in his book that the line suffered from poor condition of the rolling stock and lack of maintenance of the tracks.

He also commented that prisoners were forced to push the train in case of rain or when ascending steep grades due to the poor conditions of the tracks.

[8] At the same time, local plantations and lumber mills also built their own systems during the 1920s and the 1930s, typically serving freight trains from the production facilities to a port.

[8] Despite closures of local freight railroads due to the rise of truck traffic, one line was established in the Davao Region by the Tagum Agricultural Development Company (TADECO).

[citation needed] Proposals for the Mindanao Railway were published by the Daily Bulletin and The Far Eastern Review as early as August 1906.

[12] Then-president Manuel L. Quezon proposed the construction of an electrified railroad between Cagayan de Oro (then known as Misamis) and Davao City passing through the province of Bukidnon.

[13] After the war, Manila Railroad General Manager and later-Senator Prospero Sanidad proposed a standard-gauge railway in 1952 with consideration for a future electrified network.

A network 1,170 kilometers (730 miles) long was proposed for construction with the assistance of American firm De Leuw, Cather and Company.

[14] The following lines were proposed, each at least 100 kilometres (62 miles) long:[14] According to this older plan, Kibawe (then known as Kibawa) and Davao City were the main hubs for the network.

However, on February 11, 2002—after Estrada's impeachment the year before—President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Executive Order 72, series 2002, which abolished the MRS Task Force.

The planned railway, with a total length of 1,533 km (953 mi), was designed to span the entire island in a loop and was estimated to cost ₱66.5 billion.

The network would have linked urban centers across the island and was aimed to cut the 90-minute travel time by bus between Cagayan de Oro and Iligan to 15–20 minutes.

[22] In 2014, there were debates on whether the system would be privately managed or run by the Philippine National Railways, which intermittently operated inter-city rail services in Luzon at the time.

[23][24] The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National Economic and Development Authority conducted studies for the construction of a rail system in the island of Mindanao along with its partners starting in 2015.

Upon Duterte's election, he aimed to begin construction of the first phase between the cities of Tagum and Digos by 2017 and open it partially before the end of his term in 2022.Which did not happen due to rampant corruption.

[29] However, construction was delayed after several eminent domain issues, specifically after residents of a high-end gated community near Davao City has requested the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to realign the railway line to avoid hitting an 18-hole golf course.

[34] On March 24, 2021, the DOTr Undersecretary for Project Implementation in Mindanao, Eymard Eje, Tagum mayor Allan Rellon, and Carmen mayor Virginia Perandos signed a deed of absolute sale for land to be used for the construction of the Tagumpay Train Village, a resettlement area for families affected by the project.

[39] A month later, on August 11, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista held formal talks ending in an agreement to restart negotiations for the three railway projects.

Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said that there were 2 Korean and 1 Japanese firms their willingness to design and build the said project.

[44] In November, Vice President Sara Duterte lamented the delay of the construction of the railway and made the pronouncement in a press conference in Butuan when asked that regarding the development, particularly its rumored cancellation.

The planned project and a feasibility study conducted by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP are expected to be submitted in July 2024.

[5] The contract “will involve project preparation services for a preliminary assessment of the viability of MRP Phase 3 in Northern Mindanao,” the DOTr said in a statement.

[63] On the other hand, expansion of the single-track line to double-track has already been considered for at least the Tagum–Davao–Digos section, which is included in the total of 2,278 km (1,415 mi) track length of the entire system.

[34][63] For the current station arrangement however, passing sidings shall be used to allow trains to stop without obstructing traffic from the opposite direction, especially with the target headway being 13 minutes.

[67] The two shortlisted Chinese proponents also stated interest in designing a high-speed line that will be capable of running speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour (160 mph) once the present project achieves successful operations.

[68] The system was supposed to accommodate both passenger and freight rolling stock, the latter due to its dual purpose to connect seaports around the island.

According to Transportation Secretary Bautista, he said that the diesel-powered trains were identified in the original study, but they will adopt a more modern and environment-friendly (eco-friendly) technology.