This is a re-posted opinion piece.
I was in Naga a couple of weeks ago for a business trip. I went there by plane, but on the way back to Manila, I specifically made arrangements for me to take the famed Bicol Express, not the food mind you, but the train system which is now offering a regular run from Manila to Naga and back. My curiosity was piqued by several news stories that featured the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) train service from Manila to the Bicol region. Aside from that, I love traveling by land, exploring the countryside. I was not disappointed by the experience.
The Bicol Express left exactly at 6:30 p.m. as announced, and rolled through Bicol, Quezon, Laguna, then Metro Manila. I got off at Pasay Road at 5:00 a.m. the following day. It made several stops along the way, mostly to pick up passengers. It had two sleeper coaches and another coach with reclining chairs similar to most air conditioned buses plying the provinces. The sleeper costs a hundred pesos more than the reclining chairs section, but is a lot more comfortable since one can really lie down fully, stretch, and sleep during the travel.
The trip was good. There were rail police to provide security for the commuters. It would have been ideal if they announced which town or city stop the train was passing through to give the passengers an idea where they were. It would also be good if they could provide rolling push carts for refreshments during the trip. Clean pillows and blankets would also be appreciated even if passengers have to pay extra for these add-on services. And lastly, a day trip would also be good to allow passengers to see the countryside.
PNR actually started operations in 1875 during the Spanish colonial period serving the Manila-Dagupan route. At its height, it used to operate a route of over 479 kilometers from La Union up north down to the Bicol region in the south. It was not only ferrying people but also goods and services from the provincial areas to Manila and back. It was an efficient means of travel and provided access as well as development opportunities for the routes it served.
Continuous neglect and inefficiencies in managing its operations, however, reduced its patronage as well as rail coverage. In addition, the advent of buses for long-haul provincial trips provided stiff competition which the PNR was not able to effectively counter. The North and South Luzon toll ways were expanded and modernized which further supported travel by bus for passenger and trucks for goods and commodities, taking away much from the train’s use and patronage.
It did not help that informal settlers mushroomed in many areas of the railroad tracks. Typhoons also resulted in the damage of the rail network. The train service going north of Manila was eventually stopped in the late 1980s while the Manila-Bicol service was just fully restored this year after several years of stoppage. Aside from the Manila-Bicol service, the PNR also currently runs commuter trains in Metro Manila through improved and air-conditioned units. This supplements the existing light rail system for Metro Manila commuters and is a vital cog in expanding the mass transport system in the metropolis.
Plans were started also to build the North Rail service which will connect Manila to Bulacan and Pampanga and the South Rail, which will eventually connect Calamba to Legaspi and eventually to Sorsogon. The rehabilitation and expansion are currently on hold due to delays, work stoppage as well as anomalies and controversies with the contractors involved.
An efficient train system is an effective means of transporting people, goods, and services. It does not contribute to traffic, and fuel consumption and pollution exhaust are less compared to buses and trucks. As mentioned, the train system also contributes to access and development of places it passes through, specially the countryside.
We look forward to the future with a completely rehabilitated PNR service that will connect, once again, La Union to Sorsogon. This will offer travelers as well as movers of goods and services an alternative to road and air travel as well as open up further new areas for progress and development in the towns and cities it will pass through.
The author teaches at the De La Salle University Ramon Del Rosario College of Business. He welcomes comments at [email protected].
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and administrators.
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By: Dennis L. Berino – The View From Taft
Source: Business World, Nov. 9, 2011
To view the original article, click here.
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