‘Road train’ to serve Clark in December

THIS electric road train, made by DOST engineers, will service employees at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga in December after its test run at the economic zone in June. TONETTE OREJAS / Inquirer Central Luzon

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—A hybrid train that runs on pavement instead of conventional railroad tracks will soon be the mass transport system serving workers of the Clark Freeport Zone.

On Tuesday, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) signed a memorandum of agreement for the use of the 160-capacity light hybrid road train in the free port in December, in time for the holiday season.

The road train will be tested next month on the free port’s main thoroughfares.

The rain is a smaller version of the hybrid electric road train that was tested inside Clark in June. It will operate with five coaches, the first to be dedicated to the engine, while the remaining four units will ferry 40 to 45 passengers, said Dr. Rio Pagtalunan, DOST analysis and testing division chief.

The train has a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour, powered by a hybrid battery that runs on both diesel fuel and electricity.

“The facilities in Clark, especially the viable road network, will enable us to test the maximum speed of the road train. The train was designed to be energy-efficient,” Pagtalunan said.

CDC has allocated P1 million for the year-long operation of the train, according to Alveen Tabag, CDC vice president for engineering services. CDC expenses will cover the driver’s salary, as well as the operational and maintenance fees during the interim operations.

“When DOST launched the road train, we saw the potential that it could be adapted here in Clark because it is reliable, eco-friendly and smart,” Tabag said. Justine Dizon, Inquirer Central Luzon