Backpacking Philippines: PNR Philippine National Railways Train System Rebirth?

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Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!

Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.

More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!

PNR Philippine National Railways Train System Rebirth?

Tutubi, ever in search of new ways to explore places, has long been waiting for the rebirth of the Philippine National Railways trains that he was able to ride just once during his ROTC days in Fort Bonifacio via Magallanes to Espana in Sampaloc Manila

That lone ride was memorable to him for he saw many places he wasn't used to seeing from Manila's roads.

Eversince the railways were closed and rehabilitated, he wanted to again experience taking the trains once it's re-launched with improved facilities which is a far cry from the former dangerous trips.

two videos taken during the test runs of new trains and rehabilitated railway tracks cleared of informal settlers (no more "homes along the riles")

Hope the Northrail and Southrail, plus the full-blown development of the MRT and LRT finally finish and make travel to/from and within Metro Manila much better and faster. Tutubi also already figured out how to commute to Tagaytay the fastest way will soon be via the PNR trains.

Stop dreaming for now of train travel to Mindanao. The Philippines can't be linked with Shinkansen (bullet trains) similar to Japan so easily due to the country's archipelagic nature. Japan is also an archipelago but they have larger islands/land masses and less sea crossings plus much much more money than Filipinos.

Note: Post will be updated on PNR train trip schedules, train stations, PNR maps and train fares plus possibly a guide to touring Manila using the train system once information is available.

Labels: Public Transportation, Railways

posted by GingGoy @ 9:19 PM,

9 Comments:

At Jul 12, 2009, 8:29:00 AM, Mari said...: Hopefully, those illegal settlers along the railroad tracks don't go back. Usually, it doesn't take long for them to resettle there. You know? Old habits are hard to break.
At Jul 12, 2009, 11:06:00 AM, GingGoy said...: mari, i've heard the people were relocated in Bulacan, called Northville, and in Laguna Southville. I hope the project also provei livelihood for the deserving poor. I mentioned deserving for there are too many poor people who don't deserve help. they're the ones who demand almost everything as if if the government's job to feed them. they're the ones who are against development projects and sometimes encourage squatting as a form of livelihood. I know a few people who squat on several pieces of land and sell them (the rights) or rent them out. I hate to see people like that for i know part of my tax payments go to undeserving people besides trapo pockets
At Jul 12, 2009, 5:28:00 PM, camella said...: it's true. thousands of families were relocated in binan in laguna. the resettlement area is huge...as in really big track of former ricefields converted into a subdivision-like housing project. let's just hope that they don't go back.

is that a new train or just a refurbished one?
At Jul 12, 2009, 7:00:00 PM, GingGoy said...: camella, probably new from the looks of it. the video shows too much chicken wire for the train coaches. i;ll try it once of these days from end-to-end like what i did in the LRT back in the 90s :P
At Jul 13, 2009, 7:47:00 AM, bw said...: looks great that the PNR is being reborn. Hope they clear the tracks and those squatters don't come back !

Trains are ideal for travel esp in Luzon. Are these trains made in India?
At Jul 13, 2009, 3:10:00 PM, ivan mandy said...: Hmm, a promising restart to our railways industry but just a few observations... From what I understood, this will be a suburban commuter line not a mass transit line (like the MRT/LRT), and if Im not mistaken, this will go all the way to Malolos, Bulacan and possibly still all the way to Pangasinan. Why is it the interiors look like an LRT train? Ive tried suburban commuter trains abroad and they normally come with the standard paired seats with back rests (think the maglev in Shanghai) not with these 'jeepney' style sitting.

Wonder why.
At Jul 13, 2009, 9:35:00 PM, GingGoy said...: bw, no idea where the trains were made. the ones for NorthRail are made in China. IIRC, the Southrail trains are Korean-funded and probably made in Korea...but not sure about that

ivan, i think te Northrail up to Malolos but will probably be suburban beyond that. or the trains will replace the existing ones plying the Manila to Calamba route. let's wait for the commercial opening so i can ride one and update this post
At Jul 14, 2009, 1:00:00 PM, Anonymous said...: I thought that Sun group international is trying to fund the bullet train With the project funding?I heard it from the CEO herself.
At Jul 21, 2010, 1:21:00 AM, nize_alvin18 said...: Vietnam, Malaysia, and India are planning for a high speed railway by 2015. What are we waiting for?

PNR Philippine National Railways Train System Rebirth?

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