PNR extends operations to Calamba

MANILA, Philippines - State-run Philippine National Railways (PNR) may see a seven percent rise in passenger volume with the extension of its Metro South Commuter Train service to Calamba, Laguna, an official said yesterday.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the inauguration of a new station in Calamba today would provide affordable and convenient access to jobs and schools to more stakeholders south of Metro Manila.

“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,” Abaya said.

The train will serve an additional 3,000 to 5,000 passengers daily, on top of the current figure at of 70,000, as operations will now stretch to 56 kilometers.

“It will shorten traveling time for those who currently take the bus, and allow those who bring their own cars to bypass traffic,” Abaya added.

Two trains are assigned to ply the regular Manila-to-Calamba route, whose first trip would depart from Tutuban at 7 p.m. today. Fare is pegged at P45.

Initially, the Calamba route will start with two trips daily, which will be doubled early next year to assure Calamba-based passengers that there is enough capacity to meet their needs and to avoid jam-packed trains.

The train serves the Tutuban-Mamatid route with six stations, including Muntinlupa, San Pedro, Biñan, Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao and Mamatid.

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

The Department of Transportation and Communications has announced plans to revive the 478-kilometer Bicol Express train service, two years after its operation was suspended due to a derailment incident in Sariaya, Quezon.