PNR eyes Naga-Legazpi trips by end-September

The government is planning to revive Philippine National Railways (PNR) trips between Naga City and Legazpi City in Bicol late this month.

The PNR will inaugurate six newly renovated train stations on September 18, in line with the celebration of the feast day of Naga City's Our Lady of Peñafrancia towards the weekend.

"The train stations are ready to use and the plan is to deploy trips after the inauguration. But that (operation date) is still subject to the results of our test run and inspection," PNR general manager Joseph Allan Dilay said.

At present, the PNR deploys one round trip daily between Sipocot and Naga City, which is 37 kilometers apart. Extending the PNR trips to Legazpi City will mean additional 101 kilometer of mass transit for Bicolanos.

Data are not immediately available on the daily ridership of PNR trips between Sipocot and Naga City but according to Dilay, "we expect additional ridership of at least 358 passengers from two trips per day between Naga and Legazpi from Monday to Friday."

In Metro Manila, the PNR operates a 28-kilometer commuter rail line between Tutuban in Manila to Alabang in Muntinlupa City. The commuter line used to carry passengers up to Calamba in Laguna until the PNR has to implement track rehabilitation works after a derailment accident last April.

While rehabilitation and upgrades are being done to improve PNR services and facilities, the government is bidding out a P171-billion PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) project to privatize the operation, maintenance and expansion of the PNR to Sorsogon and Batangas City.

Under the timeline set by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), submission of bidders' prequalification documents is due on October 15. Bid submission for the North-South Railway Project is scheduled on March 28 and the issuance of notice of award is eyed on April 27.

Meanwhile, a separate $2-billion official development assistance loan from the Japanese Government will fund the project to construct tracks and train stations between Malolos in Bulacan and Tutuban in Manila.

According to DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, the $2-billion loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is the "biggest single loan" granted by the Japanese government anywhere in the world.

"The Department of Finance already signed the documents with JICA. The loan is roughly 90 billion while the total project cost is 117 billion. The Philippine government will shoulder the difference," Abaya explained.

"When we talk about the PNR North and South lines, we're confident we could award it before President Aquino's term ends," he added. (Kris Bayos)