PNR to extend commuter service to Calamba

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Transportation and Communications is already planning more trips on the Philippine National Railways’ newest route, Manila-Calamba, which opens on Tuesday.

The department, which has been moving gradually to restore the railway to its “former glory,” said it would start the Manila-Calamba service with two daily trips but had plans to double this by “early 2015.” The end-to-end fare has been pegged at P45.

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

“This is another step toward serving the increasing number of people from Laguna coming into Manila on a daily basis, reviving the railway’s iconic Bicol Express, and restoring the PNR to its former glory as a vehicle for economic prosperity and progress,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya said in a statement.

“This expansion of PNR’s commuter rail service provides affordable and convenient access to jobs and schools to more stakeholders south of Metro Manila. It will shorten travelling time for those who currently take the bus, and allow those who bring their own cars to bypass traffic,” he added.

PNR, which was established during Spain’s colonial rule in 1892 as the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan, said earlier that the Manila to Calamba service would open Dec. 2 with the inauguration of the Calamba station.

A special train carrying PNR management will leave the Tutuban station at 7:30 a.m. and will arrive at the new station in time for the ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremonies, which begin at 9:30 a.m.

The DOTC said state-owned railway’s operations will now be expanded to a 56 kilometer-stretch, up from the current 53 kilometers, after PNR opened the Cabuyao and Mamatid stations this year. It will serve an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 passengers every day in addition to the current 70,000 daily passengers.

Two trains are assigned to ply the regular Manila-to-Calamba route, whose first trip will depart from Tutuban at 7 p.m. of December 2. PNR spokesman Paul de Quiros said that on a regular day, the train would depart Tutuban at 5 a.m. with a second trip around 7 p.m. the same day.

“This is the seventh station that the PNR has opened in the past 12 months. Clearly, we are on the right track in rehabilitating the railway system and soon reviving the service to Naga and Legazpi,” Abaya said.

In December last year, the PNR opened four new stations: Muntinlupa, San Pedro, Biñan, and Sta. Rosa. This was followed by two more stations March, Cabuyao and Mamatid.

PNR earlier said it would spend P2.5 billion in 2015 mainly to upgrade and refurbish existing infrastructure.