PNR Bicol Commuter
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The Philippine National Railways (PNR) (; ) is a
state-owned State ownership, also called public ownership or government ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, property, or enterprise by the national government of a country or state, or a public body representing a community, as opposed to ...
railway company A rail transport company is a company active within the rail industry. It can be: * a manufacturing company, * a rail transport operations, railway undertaking providing services through operating rolling stock, * a railway infrastructure manager ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
which operates one
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service between Laguna and
Quezon Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
, and local services between Sipocot, Naga and Legazpi in the
Bicol Region The Bicol Region, designated as Region V, is an administrative region of the Philippines. It comprises six Provinces of the Philippines, provinces, four on the Bicol Peninsula (the luzon#Southeastern Luzon, southeastern end of Luzon): Albay, Ca ...
. It is an attached agency of the Department of Transportation. Philippine National Railways traces its roots to the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan, founded on November 24, 1892 during the Spanish colonial period, and later becoming the
Manila Railroad Company The Manila Railroad Company (MRR) was a Filipino state-owned enterprise responsible for the management and operation of rail transport in the island of Luzon. It was originally established by an English people, Englishman named Edmund Sykes as t ...
(MRR) during the
American colonial period The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonization of the Americas, British colonies on the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–17 ...
. Founded on June 20, 1964, by virtue of Republic Act No. 4156, the PNR used to operate over of route from
La Union La Union (), officially the Province of La Union (; ; ; ; ; ), is a coastal province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region on the island of Luzon. The province's capital, the San Fernando, La Union, City of San Fernando, is the most ...
to the Bicol Region. However, neglect reduced the railway's service, and persistent problems with informal settlers in the 1990s and natural disasters in the 2000s contributed further to its decline. The government is currently in the process of reinvesting in the railway through numerous projects set to revive defunct lines and create new ones.


History


Manila Railroad

The origins of the Philippine National Railways can be traced to Edmund Sykes's concession, the Manila Railway Company, Limited. Sykes was granted concession rights by the Spanish government to construct a rail line from
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
to
Dagupan Dagupan , officially the City of Dagupan (, , ), is a 2nd class independent component city in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 174,302 people. Located on Lingayen Gulf on the northwest-central ...
on June 1, 1887. The line opened as the Ferrocarril de Manila a Dagupan on November 24, 1892, and the Manila Railway Company was formally incorporated in Manila and London. The Ferrocarril de Manila a Dagupan would eventually become the North Main Line, while services to Southern Luzon under the South Main Line would be completed by 1937. The Manila Railway was later renamed the
Manila Railroad Company The Manila Railroad Company (MRR) was a Filipino state-owned enterprise responsible for the management and operation of rail transport in the island of Luzon. It was originally established by an English people, Englishman named Edmund Sykes as t ...
in 1906 and became a state-owned enterprise in 1916. By 1923, the MRR elected José Paez as its first Filipino
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
. By 1939, the MRR had of track throughout Luzon. However, the MRR's network and fleet was destroyed during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. With most of the railroads rebuilt by the 1950s, the MRR initiated its transition from steam to diesel power. Flagship services with steam ended on August 12, 1956, while regular services ended in 1963. Not long after, the Manila Railroad was reorganized into the Philippine National Railways.


Creation of the PNR and later decline

The Philippine National Railways was created in 1964 through the Republic Act 4156 during the presidency of
Diosdado Macapagal Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (; September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was a Filipino lawyer, poet and politician who served as the 9th President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the 5th Vice President of the Philippines, V ...
. According to the PNR's website, the agency experienced its heyday during its early years in the 1960s and early 1970s, as it served thousands of daily riders in its system and had an expansive commuter rail network in and out of
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
. The PNR later suffered from a multitude of reasons which contributed to its decline, including natural disasters and a lack of support from the government. Government funding during the 1970s were shifted to road-based infrastructure such as highways. On July 23, 1979, President
Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
issued Executive Order No. 546, which designated the Philippine National Railways as an attached agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, now the Department of Transportation (DOTr). However, it did not prevent the agency from suffering heavy losses. In 1983, underfunding has resulted in more cutting of services and the layoff of 1,000 employees which resulted in protests the following year. The decline of the railway became evident as sections of North Main Line closed in stages. In 1984, services were cut short to Paniqui,
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
due to a bridge collapse. Services were then again cut short to
Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...
in 1988 during the term of President
Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
. However, commuter services were briefly extended to
Malolos Malolos , officially the City of Malolos (), is a component city and capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 261,189 people. It is the capital city of the province of Bulacan as the ...
starting in 1990 under the ''Metrotren'' project and later closed in 1997. When
Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reached ...
succeeded Aquino, he decided to rehabilitate the South Main Line from Tutuban to Legaspi, and appointed Jose B. Dado as the new PNR general manager. A railway system running from Manila to Clark was also set to be constructed in the 1990s, when Ramos signed a memorandum of agreement with
Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
for its construction in September 1994. Another project, called the Manila–Calabarzon Express, sought to rehabilitate the south commuter line in Manila and construct spur lines. However, the two projects were not implemented, with the Clark railway project cancelled due to disagreement on the source of funding.


Contemporary history


Rehabilitation

The government under the administration of
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
actively pursued the rehabilitation of the Philippine National Railways through various investments and projects designed to revive Philippine rail transport, despite the numerous problems involved. This encompassed three major projects: Northrail, Southrail, and the Northrail–Southrail Linkage, which was designed to connect the two systems. The Northrail project aimed to revive the North Main Line from Caloocan to
San Fernando, La Union San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando (; ), is a component city and the capital of the province of La Union, Philippines. It serves as the regional and administrative center of the Ilocos Region. The city also functions as a hub ...
. The initial phase involved the upgrading of the existing single track to an elevated dual-track system, converting the
rail gauge In rail transport, track gauge is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many different track gauges exist worldwide, gauge dif ...
from
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
to
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, and linking Manila to
Malolos Malolos , officially the City of Malolos (), is a component city and capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 261,189 people. It is the capital city of the province of Bulacan as the ...
in
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
and further on to
Angeles City Angeles (), officially the City of Angeles (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 462,928 people. A ...
,
Clark Special Economic Zone Clark, officially the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ), is a freeport and special economic zone in Central Luzon, Philippines, managed by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), a government-owned and controlled corporation (GO ...
,
Clark International Airport Clark International Airport , known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2014, is an international airport covering portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in ...
. Although the project was under the North Luzon Railways Corporation (NLRC), the Northrail project aimed to utilize the existing right of way of the North Main Line for most of its route. The Southrail project, conceptualized when the PNR and
Daewoo Daewoo ( ; ; ; ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "''dae''" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerate) and aut ...
conducted a feasibility study, involved the rehabilitation of the entire South Main Line from Calamba to
Lucena Lucena (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially known as the City of Lucena (), is a highly urbanized city situated in the Calabarzon region (Region IV-A) of the Philippines. The city is the largest urban center and capital of ...
, and later to
Legazpi, Albay Legazpi (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Legazpi (; ), is a Component City, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
, with a new extension to Matnog. The linkage project aimed to connect the two, and ensure compatibility of the signaling and communication systems of the two lines while retaining the rail gauge as narrow gauge despite the planned gauge conversion. On September 14, 2002, a memorandum of understanding was signed by NLRC and China National Machinery and Equipment Group (CNMEG) for the Northrail project. The Northrail project was contracted out by the Arroyo administration in 2003 to China National Machinery and Equipment Corporation (CNMEC) for an original cost of $421 million. This project was estimated to cost around US$500 million, with China offering to provide some US$400 million in concessionary financing. Early construction began in 2006. However, the project would soon be plagued by a series of irregularities involving the foreign contractor, leading to repeated halts and restarts of the project; the cost of the railway later surged to US$2 billion. On July 14, 2009, President Arroyo presided over the launch of new diesel multiple units from
Hyundai Rotem Hyundai Rotem Company, often referred to as Hyundai Rotem (), is a South Korean manufacturer of railway rolling stock, railway signalling, defense products and plant equipment. It is a member of Hyundai Motor Group and has presence in more than ...
. This coincided with PNR's rebranding under a new brand name, ''PNR Filtrack'', although the succeeding administration decided to revert these changes. While plans for Southrail were not fully realized, the initial phase of the linkage project from Caloocan to Alabang, financed by the Export–Import Bank of Korea and the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund, was completed in 2010. Total reconstruction of rail bridges and tracks, including replacement of the current 35-kilogram (77-pound) track with newer 50-kilogram (110-pound) tracks and the refurbishing of stations, were part of the rehabilitation and expansion process. Northrail was finally cancelled in 2011 by President
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
on lingering legal issues and corruption allegations. Nevertheless, rehabilitation of the railway continued, with the San Cristobal bridge in
Calamba, Laguna Calamba, officially the City of Calamba (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Laguna (province), Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popu ...
being rebuilt in May 2011. The Bicol Express train service was inaugurated on June 29, with a maiden voyage between Manila and
Naga, Camarines Sur Naga, officially the City of Naga (Central Bikol language, Central Bikol: ''Siyudad nin Naga''; Rinconada Bikol language, Rinconada Bikol: ''Siyudad ka Naga''; ; ), or the Pilgrim City of Naga, is an Cities of the Philippines#Legal classificat ...
plus a return trip back to the terminus on July 1. This inaugural trip was marred by the collapse of the embankment at Malaguico, Sipocot. It was discovered before the train passed through and was repaired. The restored Bicol Express intercity service was offered on a daily basis, running mostly during nighttime. Following a derailment incident, the Bicol Express service was indefinitely suspended on October 26, 2012, leaving only the Metro Commuter Line in operation.


Current developments

Despite attempts to restart and reconfigure the Northrail project, by 2015, it was replaced by a new project that sought to revitalize the PNR, called the North–South Railway Project (NSRP), was approved by the government. It involved two lines, NSRP North and South. The north line is analogous to the existing North Main Line; its first phase is the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR), a , electrified narrow gauge commuter railway from Tutuban to Malolos funded through
official development assistance Official development assistance (ODA) is a category used by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure foreign aid. The DAC first adopted the concept in 1969. It is w ...
(ODA) from Japan. The second phase entailed the rebuilding of the line's long-haul services to La Union. Meanwhile, the south line included the reconstruction of the existing Metro Commuter line from Tutuban to Calamba as well as the rehabilitation of the South Main Line with an extension up to Matnog, Sorsogon and a branch line from Calamba to Batangas. The latter phase of the north line, as well as the entire south line, were to be funded through a
public–private partnership A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sectors, private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Revie ...
(PPP) scheme. These plans would later be modified by the succeeding government under President
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
. The NSCR was extended to
New Clark City New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, owned and managed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). It is located within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the municipalities of Bamb ...
. It was also expanded to include the reconstruction of the Metro Commuter line, which was now also to be financed through ODA from Japan. Meanwhile, the planned long-haul portion of the south line was reconstituted as the South Long Haul project, which would involve the reconstruction of the South Main Line. It was to be funded by China, although this was later withdrawn after several delays and a slow negotiation process with the Chinese government. Furthermore, all new railway lines were now to be constructed using
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, as opposed to the narrow gauge that is currently in use by PNR. After nearly 20 years, PNR reopened the Metro North Commuter line, and launched the Caloocan–Dela Rosa shuttle line, on August 1, 2018. This would be followed by a steady expansion and reintroduction of rail services to the north, currently reaching to Malabon, which has not seen rail activity for nearly 20 years. A plan to reactivate the Carmona line was bared as well, and the revival of cargo rail from Port Area, Manila to Laguna is now being planned. On November 16, 2018, PNR became a provisional member of
International Union of Railways The International Union of Railways (, UIC) is an international rail transport industry body based in Paris. History The railways of Europe had originated during the nineteenth century as many separate concerns across numerous nations; this le ...
. On June 14, 2019, PNR became
ISO 9001 The ISO 9000 family is a set of international standards for quality management systems. It was developed in March 1987 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ensure that they meet ...
-certified (ISO 9001:2015) for railway repair, rehabilitation, restoration and maintenance, train control and rolling stock maintenance, station operation and other related services. The certification was announced on October 2, 2019. On February 16, 2023, the Department of Transportation announced a temporary suspension of operations of the PNR system for five years to give way for the construction of the NSCR. Transport Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said that the temporary suspension would save the government while construction on the new railway line is ongoing. The Alabang–Calamba segment was the first to be closed on July 2, while the Tutuban–Alabang segment followed suit on March 28, 2024. New PUV franchises traversing parallel the PNR route were issued to compensate for the five-year closure. Services in the Bicol Region were expanded on December 23, 2023.


Operations and services

The PNR currently operates in Laguna, and Quezon province and Bicol region. At the last years of regular intercity service along the system's entire length in the late 1980s, it served from Tutuban to
San Fernando, La Union San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando (; ), is a component city and the capital of the province of La Union, Philippines. It serves as the regional and administrative center of the Ilocos Region. The city also functions as a hub ...
on the North Main Line and
Legazpi, Albay Legazpi (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Legazpi (; ), is a Component City, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
on the South Main Line. Various branch lines also led to
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
,
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
,
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
, Rizal and
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
. One of the branch lines that led to Carmona was intended to be reopened by 2019. This was not yet realized , presumably due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, among other developments. On March 27, 2024, the PNR suspended its operations in Metro Manila, specifically the Gov. Pascual to Bicutan and the Tutuban to
Alabang Alabang () is a barangay in Muntinlupa, Philippines. At one time, the area was a farming district and has since grown from a village to a major commercial center, including Filinvest City, Madrigal Business Park, and a transportation hub. It ...
segments for at least five years to make way for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), which will run on the same route as the old tracks, albeit
elevated An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train or el for short) is a railway with the Track (rail transport), tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concre ...
and will use electrification and the
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, the first in PNR. The old tracks beneath the elevated segments will be restored for future freight services as well as connection to the
PNR South Main Line The PNR South Main Line (, also known as Southrail and formerly the Main Line South) is one of the two trunk lines that form the Philippine National Railways' network in the island of Luzon, Philippines. It was opened in stages between 1916 a ...
and eventually the South Long Haul. The PNR operates almost every day of the year unless otherwise announced. Special schedules via the social media pages of the agency and also in newspapers and other mass media. During
Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
, a public holiday in the Philippines, operations are suspended for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro. Normal operation resumes on
Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...
.


Summary of services


Metro Commuter Line


Metro North Commuter

The reactivated ''Metro North Commuter'' ran initially from Caloocan to Makati and uses a single special fare matrix of for ordinary, and for air-conditioned. This was later extended to reach FTI in Taguig, now with a distance-based fare matrix. A Caloocan-Tutuban shuttle service also exists, using the original right-of-way once used for the Dagupan line. Originally terminating at 10th Avenue station while the historical Caloocan station was still being prepared for activation, the station now terminates at its originally intended station since September 10. DOTr and PNR have laid out plans in reactivating rail services in areas prepared for NorthRail, such as Malabon and possibly Valenzuela. First proposed and planned last September 2018, the extension to Gov. Pascual Avenue and the re-establishment of the Governor Pascual Station (formerly called Acacia Station) in Malabon has been done, with new rail ties and narrow gauge rail tracks restored. It reopened to the public on December 3, 2018. Another extension, this time targeting Valenzuela City (Polo area) has been bared on August 14, 2019, and will require rebuilding a railway bridge crossing Tullahan river that has been previously demolished. The line is provisional, and services were interrupted with the construction of NSCR elevated tracks underway, with the northern area commencing upon the conclusion of the construction of NLEX Segment 10.1. However, despite the new rails being removed again, the at-grade reconstructed lines will be retained and are targeted for freight use as well as part of the system's extension/reintroduction to the north. The trains used in this service was the Hyundai Rotem DMUs and 8000 class DMUs, with the KiHa 52 DMU and KiHa 350 DMU formerly used in this service.


Metro South Commuter

The ''Metro Commuter'' (also known by then-remaining active service ''MSC'' or ''Metro South Commuter''), which was formerly called ''Commuter Express ''(also ''Commex''), serves as the
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service for the Manila metropolitan area, extending as far south as Calamba and Los Baños, both in Laguna. The PNR uses GE locomotives such as 900 Class, 2500 Class, and 5000 Class hauling
203 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated in Japan between 1982 and 2011 by Japanese National Railways (JNR) and later by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and currently operated by KAI Commuter and Philippine National Rail ...
EMUs, including 18 (3 car trains, 6 sets) Hyundai Rotem DMUs, KiHa 52 DMUs, the PT INKA 8000 class DMUs, 8100 class DMUs, and the INKA CC300 locomotive with 8300 class coaches for this service. The 8000 class DMUs occasionally perform ''MSC'' trips when the Hyundai Rotem DMUs occupy the Metro North Commuter trips. The GE locomotives formerly haul 7A-2000 12 series Commex passenger coaches. ''MSC '' service using the Hyundai Rotem DMUs, KiHa 52, KiHa 350,
203 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated in Japan between 1982 and 2011 by Japanese National Railways (JNR) and later by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and currently operated by KAI Commuter and Philippine National Rail ...
EMUs, 8000 class and 8100 class DMUs, and the INKA CC300 locomotive with 8300 class coaches is currently offered between Tutuban and
Alabang Alabang () is a barangay in Muntinlupa, Philippines. At one time, the area was a farming district and has since grown from a village to a major commercial center, including Filinvest City, Madrigal Business Park, and a transportation hub. It ...
in
Muntinlupa Muntinlupa (), officially the City of Muntinlupa (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population o ...
. Currently, MSC makes 32 return services, 16 in each direction.


Shuttle Service

The ''Shuttle Service'' is a
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service initially introduced on January 27, 2014. This service used Hyundai Rotem DMUs and JR KiHa 52. There were 2 routes of the Shuttle Service, where trains stop at all stations along the routes: TutubanSucat and Santa MesaSucat. This train service ended May 23, 2014, to conduct maintenance on the rolling stocks and due to the consecutive three weeks of delays and cancellations of this train service. Formerly, plans for a third route plying
Alabang Alabang () is a barangay in Muntinlupa, Philippines. At one time, the area was a farming district and has since grown from a village to a major commercial center, including Filinvest City, Madrigal Business Park, and a transportation hub. It ...
Calamba was to be introduced sometime in 2017. This service would use the reliveried two-car KiHa 350; This did not push through in 2018. However, with the commissioning of the new DOST Hybrid Train in 2019, this route is now under test run, currently free of charge, but with limited schedules. In 2018, a new shuttle line was introduced with the 10th AvenueDela Rosa route since August 1, 2018, as part of the renovation of the line and the return of train services to Caloocan. The revived train service had its first extension towards Sangandaan, the original Caloocan station since September 10, extending through FTI. Since December 3, 2018, the line was extended northwards to Governor Pascual (formerly called Acacia) in Malabon, and since December 16, 2019, the shuttle service was extended southwards to Bicutan as its new terminus from FTI. A new shuttle line leading to the once-abandoned Carmona branch line is planned for reopening in 2019, and will originate from the Dela Rosa station in Makati City.


Bicol Commuter

The ''Bicol Commuter'' service is a
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service in the Bicol Region, between stations in Tagkawayan, Quezon, and
Legazpi, Albay Legazpi (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Legazpi (; ), is a Component City, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
, with Naga in
Camarines Sur Camarines Sur (; ), officially the Province of Camarines Sur (Central Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Habagatan na Camarines''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its ca ...
acting as a central terminal. It has three services: Tagkawayan-Naga (suspended), Sipocot-Naga (operational), and Naga-Legazpi (operational) The service was first launched on September 16, 2009 as Tagkawayan-Naga and Naga-Ligao. The trains were planned to make seven trips a day, alternating between Tagkawayan, Sipocot, Naga City and Legazpi. All services used KiHa 52 in revised blue livery. However after further reductions, only the service between Sipocot and Naga was operating by December 2013. Service resumed between Naga and Legazpi on September 18, 2015, with one train a day. However, services were again cut in April 2017 due to an absence of rolling stock, which was worsened by a succession of typhoons that damaged railroads in the Bicol region. Definitive plans to restore the entire route from Sipocot, Naga and Legazpi were bared with an inspection trip from Tutuban on September 20, 2019, with a rerailment crew, including certain areas of Quezon Province, in preparation of the restoration of more routes previously suspended. First to be restored was the operation of the Naga-Sipocot segment of the Bicol Commuter service in 2022. On the 31th of July 2022, the PNR resumed operations between Ligao and Naga, with two daily trips in service. The Naga–Legazpi route was reopened on December 27, 2023, six years after its suspension in April 2017 due to insufficient trains. , the train used for the Naga-Legazpi Route is the 8300 class coaches pulled by a INKA CC300 locomotive. While the 8000 class DMU is used in the Naga - Sipocot Line.


Defunct services


Intercity services

PNR's intercity operations on its two main lines, the North Main Line and South Main Line, both located in Luzon, have been indefinitely suspended since 2014. The South Main Line then served as the primary intercity service after the permanent closure of the northern line in 1991. However, PNR also ended its regular intercity services in 2006 due to natural disasters and poor track conditions, although the ''Bicol Express'' ran irregularly between 2009 and 2014. In Camarines Sur, liquefaction of the track's embankment caused a section of the line in Sipocot to sink. This allowed the inaugural service of the new ''Bicol Express'' in 2011 to slow down to a near-stop while passing through the area. There are plans to revitalize both lines. The North Main Line is currently reserved for building the fully-elevated portion of the North–South Commuter Railway to Capas, Tarlac. The South Main Line is planned to be rebuilt and extended to Matnog, Sorsogon. The spur line to Batangas City will also be rebuilt. Test runs along the South Main Line were conducted in September 2019. On September 21, 2019, a KiHa 59 and a rerailment train consisting of a newly repainted PNR 900 class locomotive and a CMC coach conducted a test run from Tutuban to Naga.


North Main Line services

The North Main Line was first opened when the Manila–Dagupan Railway was opened in 1892. At its height between the 1950s and 1960s, the line once boasted full
double-track railway A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...
s from Tutuban to Dagupan and also served until
San Fernando, La Union San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando (; ), is a component city and the capital of the province of La Union, Philippines. It serves as the regional and administrative center of the Ilocos Region. The city also functions as a hub ...
. It also had branch lines to various areas in Central Luzon. However, its services severely deteriorated in the 1980s. All regular operations outside Metro Manila ended in 1988. However, there was irregular service to Meycauayan railway station until all stations in Central Luzon were closed by the
1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines' Luzon Volcanic Arc was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, behind only the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska. Eruptive activity began on April 2 as a series of p ...
.


South Main Line services

Intercity services on the South Main Line ran between Manila and Legazpi between 1916 and 2014, including the intermittent ''Bicol Express'' and ''Mayon/Isarog Limited'' services between 2009 and 2014. The services also briefly extended to Sorsogon in the 1960s due to the trains' popularity as a form of transportation with the masses.


Non-passenger services

Freight services used to be a key component of PNR's operations, and the same applies to its predecessors being the Manila Railway and Railroad companies. Freight services lasted until 2003 when
International Container Terminal Services International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) () is a global port management company headquartered in Manila, Philippines. Established in 1916, ICTSI is the Philippines' largest multinational and transnational company, having establishe ...
used PNR tracks to transfer
intermodal containers An intermodal container, often called a shipping container, or a freight container, (or simply "container") is a large metal crate designed and built for intermodal freight transport, meaning these containers can be used across different mod ...
from the Port of Manila to its facility in
Cabuyao Cabuyao (), officially the City of Cabuyao (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 355,330 people. It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the Philipp ...
, Laguna. Since then, there have been proposals to revive freight services as part of its PNR Long Haul projects. The Manila Railroad was also the owner of the
Manila Hotel The Manila Hotel is a 550-room, historic five-star hotel located along Manila Bay in Manila, Philippines.
during its early years prior to its handover to the Government Services Insurance System. They also hosted "hospital trains" in the 1930s, with 70 class tank locomotive No. 79 and a converted American Car-built express coach used as a
hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
.


Station list

The Philippine National Railways operates on two main lines, the North Main Line and the South Main Line, alongside three major spur lines, which served various parts of
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
with its 138 (once) active stations.


Station layout

All PNR stations were and are presently at-grade, with most stations using a
side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, ...
layout. Most have only basic amenities, platforms and ticket booths. Rehabilitated stations along the Metro Manila line have been fitted with ramps for passengers using wheelchairs. Several stations have extended platforms, having an upper platform catering to DMU services, and a lower platform for regular locomotive-hauled services. As of August 2017, most of the stations are being extended and equipped with platform-length roofing, better ticketing office, and restrooms. Future railway systems under the PNR, such as the North–South Commuter Railway line, will have elevated, at-grade, and depressed stations similar to that of Manila LRT and MRT stations.


Modernization and expansion plans

The PNR system has suffered from decades of neglect and therefore, several plans to restore and expand the network has been proposed by various administrations. The
Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
have contributed to these plans. Most of these concern the revitalization and modernization projects of the mainlines in Luzon. The government plans a complete overhaul of the PNR system, which involves
electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. In the context of history of technology and economic development, electrification refe ...
and conversion from
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
to
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, as well as from single to
double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most li ...
. The standard gauge system is estimated to have a total track length of around .


Urban rail systems


North–South Commuter Railway

The North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) is the latest project to revitalize both the historic North and South Main Lines, particularly sections in the
Greater Manila Area The Greater Manila Area () is the contiguous urbanization region surrounding the Metro Manila, Metropolitan Manila area of the Philippines. This built-up zone includes Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan to the north, Cavite and ...
. First planned in the 1990s, the project's previous incarnations were hounded by funding problems and disagreements. It finally came into shape in November 2017 after a resolution of a five-year dispute between the government and a Chinese contractor. The NSCR will be a 36 station, elevated railway system from
New Clark City New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, owned and managed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). It is located within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the municipalities of Bamb ...
in Capas, Tarlac to Calamba, Laguna. It will be the first electrified main line in the country. Construction on the railway began in 2019. Once fully completed by 2025, it will accommodate at least 300,000 passengers between Northern Metro Manila and Bulacan alone. While the elevated line will be served by electrified trains, the existing lines below will be used for freight trains and/or existing commuter trains.


MRT Line 8

As part of the infrastructure program by president
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
, East-West Rail was proposed by the East-West Rail Transit Corp., a consortium between Megawide, A. Brown Company Inc., and Private Equity Investment and Development Corp. It involves the financing, design, construction, and maintenance of a mostly-elevated
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
line from
Diliman Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
in Quezon City to
Quiapo Quiapo may refer to: * Quiapo, Chile, a location in Arauco Province *Quiapo, Manila, a district in the Philippines ** Quiapo Church The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno (), commonly known as Quiapo Church and canonically ...
in Manila. In 2018, the PNR has said that it will help in building and operating the line. The line will have 11 stations on of mostly elevated track. The project is currently awaiting approval from NEDA to proceed. It is also currently tackling right-of-way issues, such as that of the España Boulevard alignment.


Intercity rail systems


PNR South Long Haul

The South Long Haul project, also known as PNR Bicol, is a planned reconstruction of the intercity line between Metro Manila and the Bicol Region. Originally proposed as a simple reconstruction of the existing network at narrow-gauge and a maximum speed of , the project now involves a complete overhaul of the railway and its conversion to
standard-gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, replacing the existing line. The line will be initially built as a single-track system. However, there are provisions for an upgrade to double-track or electrification in the future. Stations will be allowed to use passing sidings so that
express train An express train is a type of passenger train that makes few or no stops between its origin and destination stations, usually major destinations, providing faster service than local trains that stop at many or all of the stations along their ...
travel is uninterrupted.


Mindanao Railway

President
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
expressed his support for the establishment of a railway system in the entire island of
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
which could be in operation after his term ends. The railway system to be built in Mindanao will have about 2,000 kilometers of track, and considered one of Rodrigo Duterte's primary infrastructure projects. The first phase, which is , would start construction in the third quarter of 2018 and was expected to be completed by 2022.


Freight revival

In 2016, PNR has been interested in reviving its freight services with a planned signing of a memorandum of agreement between the railway and rail freight operator MRAIL (a
Meralco The Manila Electric Company, also known as Meralco (, , stylized in uppercase), is an electric power distribution company in the Philippines. It is Metro Manila's only electric power distributor and holds the power distribution franchise for 3 ...
subsidiary firm) for the rehabilitation of the rail lines to North Harbor and to restart the freight services starting 2017, which will also help reduce traffic congestion and truck use in the NCR. If completed, MRail will jointly operate the freight service with the PNR, which will end a long absence of railway freight services in the country. This will be the second time the PNR will partner with ICTSI. A statement made by MRail Inc., a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said that discussions regarding PNR freight service revival from Port of Manila to the Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal resulted in the appointment of a new board at the Philippine National Railways. Representatives of PNR and ICTSI conducted an inspection of the ROW where the former railtracks leading to the North Harbor existed, signalling the start of the action to realize the cargo rail revival. , the freight revival plans are currently not in effect, as with the agency's other railway plans, the cause presumed to be the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Rolling stock

PNR has operated several types of locomotives, carriages and multiple units as part of its fleet. As of 2019, the rolling stock used are primarily powered by diesel. The DOST Hybrid Electric Train may also function as a battery electric multiple unit although it is started by a diesel engine. All present rolling stock are in . PNR also has rail mounted cranes as supporting equipment with varying capacities between . In late 2019, improvements with the current rolling stocks have been seen. KiHa 59 KoGaNe, KiHa 350 Set 3, and two sets of Hyundai Rotem DMUs received a new blue-orange livery with window screen. One unit of 900 Class has been overhauled and repainted to blue-orange and filtrack livery. PNR also have expanded their line and added more trips in their service, KoGaNe has served the Tutuban-Calamba Line (Limited Chosen Stops only) from October 24 to December 2, 2019, then got extended to IRRI in Los Baños, Laguna on December 3, 2019. KiHa 350 Set 3 also have served the Alabang-Calamba-IRRI Line but it only lasted a couple of weeks, PNR train will go to bicol after renovation of railway tracks.


Liveries

The Manila-Dagupan Railway, the Manila Railroad Company and the Philippine National Railways sported various liveries representing various eras of the company, usually to celebrate the arrival of new rolling stock. Each of these are painted by hand.


Steam locomotive era (1892–1954)

There were no available colored images of Manila-Dagupan Railway and the Manila Railroad Company's rolling stock before the war so the color scheme of the carriages remains unknown. However, based on the surviving locomotives, the steam locomotives owned by the two companies sported a black-only livery like most of the notable American steam engines.''Today's Railways and Preserved Steam in the Philippines''
International Steam. Retrieved December 18, 2019.


Railmotor livery (1948)

The Cummins railmotors were colored black or white, and orange. The pre-war carriages salvaged and refurbished in the late 1940s also used this color scheme.


MRR/PNR livery (1955)

The MRR celebrated the arrival of its first diesel rolling stock with its colors changed to dark green and yellow, or alternately to yellow-orange and dark green. The livery was retained when the Philippine government took over and renamed it the Philippine National Railways. During the transition to PNR, the old MRR monogram with a diamond-shaped seal was painted out and the PNR circular seal and monogram was placed on the front of the cab with yellow wing-like symbols outside it. The PNR acronym is also placed on the sides as well. By the 1980s, the diesel multiple units will have a yellow body and the wing-like symbols are colored dark green. A few locomotives sported a yellow-orange livery at that time.


Commuter Motor Coach livery (c. 1978)

During the late 1970s, the Commuter Motor Coaches used on PNR's local train services in Metro Manila and the Bicol Region was colored white and navy blue.


Metrotren livery (1990)

When President
Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
inaugurated the rebranded Manila commuter service as "Metrotren" in 1990, the CMC coaches were repainted to navy blue, white and red. This was also used for the 1998 restocking of the ''Bicol Express'' with the old ''Peñafrancia Express'' IC-888 train. This was used until the mid-2000s when both multiple unit types were changed to the navy blue livery.


Philippines 2000 livery (1997)

The GE Universal Series-based 900, 2500 and 5000 classes sported a red livery celebrating
Fidel Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reached ...
' Philippines 2000 program. Although the PNR revised this livery after 2000, some retained it due to lack of maintenance funds and a 900 class survived with this livery in use until 2008. Some of the freight carriages had the Philippines 2000 name spray-painted on top the old green and yellow livery.


Navy blue livery (c. 2000, 2011)

A navy blue livery was introduced after the expiry of the Philippines 2000 program. This followed after PNR acquired locomotive-hauled 12 and 14 series coaches from Japan. There are subtle differences with the coaches used on the ''Commuter Express'' (formerly ''Metrotren'') and the ''Bicol Express''. The ''Commuter Express'' trainsets were navy blue with orange highlights while the ''Bicol Express'' were navy blue with gold highlights. The PNR symbol on the ''Commuter Express'' was white while on the ''Bicol Express'' was gold. The locomotives' colors were also changed to navy blue and orange. This livery was re-introduced in 2011 although it was not used on the ''Bicol Express'' trainsets.


Filtrack livery (2009)

PNR attempted to revitalize the ''Bicol Express'' in 2009 with the support of president
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
. This was supported with a change of logo and liveries. The coaches in PNR service used white and orange while the locomotives' cabs were colored white while the PNR monogram logo was sealed out. The trains also sported the "Filtrack" brand on the coaches and on the side of the locomotives. However, this was short lived after the ''Bicol Express'' stopped its services indefinitely. By 2015, all of the rolling stock followed the 2000s navy blue livery.


INKA livery (2019)

The PNR announced another logo change and changes to its livery in 2019. This is after the Duterte administration under the Department of Transportation announced major reforms to the PNR. The PNR's monogram is now fully incorporated on a
seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
-type logo, bearing the agency's name and the year it was founded. The seal was also changed from orange and blue to golden yellow and blue. At the same time, the rolling stock also changed its liveries with regards to the arrival of the new rolling stock from Indonesia. The
203 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated in Japan between 1982 and 2011 by Japanese National Railways (JNR) and later by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and currently operated by KAI Commuter and Philippine National Rail ...
-based passenger cars' liveries did not change as of 2022. The first among the old rolling stock was the KiHa 350 and KiHa 59 series trains. After this was the Hyundai Rotem DMUs and finally, 900 series locomotives DEL 917, 902, 913, 921, and 922, 5000 series locomotive DEL 5007 and 5001, and 2500 series locomotive DEL 2540 changed its livery to orange. All multiple units were fitted with new window screen to resist stoning. The colors however varied from one type of rolling stock to another but the common theme was the inclusion of orange (as the highlight color), white (as the main stock color), navy blue (as the side line color) and black (as the bottom color).


CRRC diesel multiple unit livery (2021)

The latest effort to the revitalization of the South Main Line, particularly the ''Bicol Express'' intercity service, was unveiled in 2019 dubbed the "South Long Haul" project. A scale model of the train that would have been used was revealed during a contract signing ceremony between the Philippine National Railways, its superior agency the Department of Transportation, and the Chinese rolling stock manufacturer CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive. The three-car train will also feature a red-orange livery with black stripes on its windows. This train would have arrived in 2021. However, on February 24, 2021, PNR cancelled the contract with CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive due to the procurement process being questioned by the Commission on Audit, and the failure of CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive to submit post-qualification bidding requirements.


NSCR electric multiple unit livery (2021)

In line with the construction of the North–South Commuter Railway, the Department of Transportation ordered 104 train cars (13 sets) of electric multiple units from
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide '' sōgō shōsha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group. It is listed on three Japanese stock exchange ...
and
Japan Transport Engineering Company is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan, formerly known as . The company is based in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, and a member of East Japan Railway Company (JR East) group. J-TREC manufactures rail vehicles not only for JR East and Tokyu Corpo ...
on July 16, 2019. The original proposal featured a bluish-purple livery in the 2019 scale model of the Sustina Commuter. However, the livery design was changed when PNR revealed a mock-up of the front cab for the PNR EM10000 class trains on June 29, 2021. The livery now features a red-orange color livery and eagle design highlights on the sides of the lead cars of the train.


See also

* Department of Transportation * List of Philippine National Railways stations * Panay Railways * Rail transportation in the Philippines * Strong Republic Transit System


Notes


References


Further reading

* Uranza, Rogelio (2002)
''The Role of Traffic Engineering and Management in Metro Manila''
Workshop paper presented in the Regional Workshop: Transport Planning, Demand Management and Air Quality, February 2002, Manila, Philippines. Asian Development Bank (ADB). *
Japan International Cooperation Agency Official Page
"Revitalization of Main Line South Project (1989)"
List of stations of East West line

East West line for icc approval

Statement from Megawide company

East West line the PPP Projects

Megawide Joins Quezon City to Manila railway project


External links


Philippine National Railways (official website)

Official Facebook page of Philippine National Railways

Facebook page of Philippine Railways

Twitter page of Philippine Railways

Facebook for Philippine Railway Historical Society
{{authority control Department of Transportation (Philippines) Government-owned and controlled corporations of the Philippines Railway companies of the Philippines Rail transportation in Metro Manila Transportation in Luzon Philippine brands 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in the Philippines 1892 establishments in the Philippines Railway companies established in 1964 Spanish colonial infrastructure in the Philippines