The Philippine Online Chronicles

A Manila to Bicol rail service will be available again starting June 29 as the Philippine National Railways (PNR) restores its “Bicol Express,” Malacañang announced today.

“PNR administrator Junio Ragragio received marching orders from President Aquino to reopen the railway line this year,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.  He added that the resumption of the Bicol rail service a month ahead of schedule was made possible by the additional workforce and contracts for the Quezon-Bicol portions of the tracks and vital infrastructure rehabilitation.

“With the forthcoming resumption of the Bicol Express, new impetus to tourism and the transport of goods has been given. Manila-Bicol rail service resuming this month is a promising start,” Lacierda said.

The restored Bicol rail service covers 400 kilometers from Manila’s Tutuban Station to Naga City’s Central Station. Abs-cbnnews.com reported that the Bicol Express, which started in 1938, was halted in the 1970s because of devastating weather. It was rehabilitated in 1985, only to experience deteriorations in the coming years. In 2006, the Bicol rail service ceased operations because of severe damages caused by typhoons.

The PNR conducted three test runs from January to May involving several sleeper coaches from Japan and a domestically refurbished passenger coach with reclining chairs, according to a report.

PNR General Manager Ragragio said in a Manila Bulletin report that the Bicol Express trip takes less than 10 hours based on the test runs.  Presently, land travel to this region takes 10 to 12 hours from Manila.

The Palace said that the restored Bicol Express will have three classes of coaches: tourist class with reclining seats and in-coach movie and sound systems; sleeping cars for families and executives; and a dining car with first-class amenities.

“The projected journey of less than 10 hours will put the Bicol Express at a competitive advantage with buses which take a full 10 hours to make the trip, while offering travelers a superior riding experience at attractive fares,” Lacierda said.

Around P1.8 billion was earmarked for the railway rehabilitation project on top of the  P250 million needed for the acquisition of new trains.

PNR expects to gain P800 million additional income and a 33 percent increase in employment opportunities during the first year of the revival of the Manila to Bicol train line operations, Ragrario said in a separate report.