EDITORIAL — Missing the commuter train

After the Holy Week, the daily commute for around 30,000 people will become more difficult. Beginning March 28, the Philippine National Railways will stop its Metro Manila operations to give way to the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway. The project is expected to last five years, during which regular PNR commuters will have to rely on buses to be fielded along the train routes.

As announced by the PNR, southbound buses from Tutuban in Divisoria, Manila to Alabang, Muntinlupa will run from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Northbound buses from Alabang will run from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.

While the fielding of buses is welcomed by commuters, those who took the PNR train regularly have pointed out that bus rides take longer than trains because of road traffic. Bus schedules lack predictability, especially during rush hour. The trains also offer more room for passenger cargo, especially for those coming from the bargain district of Divisoria.

The Department of Transportation has explained that by completely shutting down the commuter train service, construction of the North-South Commuter Railway will be speeded up by eight months and will mean an estimated P15.18 billion in savings. The NSCR, which will run from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, will have an expanded capacity of up to 800,000 passengers daily. The public will be holding the government to those objectives.

The halt in PNR commuter operations illustrates the importance of railways in mass transport especially in densely populated mega cities like Metro Manila. Trains from Manila to as far as Bicol and La Union had been popular since the Spanish period, but the railway service deteriorated beginning in the 1960s. During the presidency of Corazon Aquino, the commuter service was revived, and quickly gained popularity in a metropolis with an acute lack of mass transport facilities.

The capacity could not meet the demand, as seen in the train cars that were packed like sardines during rush hour. Still, commuters preferred the train, not only because of the affordable fares, but also because the schedules were predictable and unimpeded by traffic. These factors must be considered as buses are fielded to compensate for the shutdown of the commuter train service.