Philippine National Railways facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Philippine National Railways

Industry	Rail transport
Founded	November 24, 1892; 132 years ago (1892-11-24) (as Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan) June 20, 1964; 61 years ago (1964-06-20) (as Philippine National Railways)
Headquarters	Manila , Philippines
Area served	Calabarzon Bicol Region
Key people	Michael Ted Macapagal (Chairman) Jeremy Regino (General Manager)
Services	Current: Commuter rail Suspended: Inter-city rail Freight services
Revenue	₱564.63 million (2022)
Net income	₱317.4 million (2022)
Owner	Government of the Philippines under Department of Transportation
Footnotes / references Financial information:

Philippine National Railways

Network map, showing both active (orange), inactive (black), and proposed (grey) lines.
A PNR 8000 class at Santa Mesa station
Overview
Stations operated	138
Parent company	Department of Transportation
Headquarters	Tutuban, Tondo, Manila
Locale	Luzon
Dates of operation	June 20, 1964 (1964-06-20)–present
Predecessors	Manila Railroad Company
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge (future)
Electrification	NSCR: 1,500 V DC overhead lines (by fiscal 2023)
Length	133.09 km (82.70 mi) (active)
Operating speed	20–40 km/h (12–25 mph)

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is a railway company owned by the Philippine government. It runs train services for people traveling short distances, mostly in Laguna and Quezon provinces. It also has local services in the Bicol Region, connecting places like Sipocot, Naga, and Legazpi. The PNR is part of the Department of Transportation.

PNR started way back on November 24, 1892. It was first called the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan during the time the Philippines was a Spanish colony. Later, during the American colonial period, it became the Manila Railroad Company (MRR). On June 20, 1964, it officially became the Philippine National Railways.

In the past, PNR had over 1,100 kilometers (about 680 miles) of railway lines, reaching from La Union all the way to the Bicol Region. But over time, the railway system faced many challenges. These included problems with people building homes too close to the tracks and natural disasters like typhoons. These issues caused PNR's services to shrink.

Today, the government is working hard to bring the railway system back to life. They are planning many projects to fix old lines and build new ones. This will help more people travel by train across the country.

A Look Back: PNR's Journey

From Manila Railway to PNR

Passengers posing in front of the "Ferrocarril de Manila y Dagupan" (c. 1885).

The story of the Philippine National Railways began with a company called the Manila Railway Company, Limited. In 1887, a man named Edmund Sykes got permission from the Spanish government to build a railway line from Manila to Dagupan. This line, called the Ferrocarril de Manila a Dagupan, opened on November 24, 1892.

The Manila Railway later changed its name to the Manila Railroad in 1906. In 1916, the Philippine government took ownership of the company. By 1939, the Manila Railroad had 1,140 kilometers (about 708 miles) of tracks all over Luzon.

However, during World War II, many of the railway lines and trains were badly damaged. Most of the railways were rebuilt by the 1950s. The Manila Railroad then started changing its trains from steam-powered to diesel-powered. The last regular steam train services ended in 1963. Soon after, the Manila Railroad became the Philippine National Railways.

Challenges and Changes

The PNR was officially created in 1964. In its early years, during the 1960s and early 1970s, PNR was very popular. Thousands of people used its trains every day, and it had a large network of commuter lines in and around Metro Manila.

But over time, PNR faced many problems. These included natural disasters and not enough support from the government. In the 1970s, the government started putting more money into building roads and highways instead of railways. This caused PNR to lose money. In 1983, due to a lack of funds, PNR had to cut some services and let go of 1,000 employees.

The North Main Line, which went to northern Luzon, was gradually closed. By 1988, services were cut short to Caloocan. Although commuter services briefly reached Malolos in the 1990s, they closed again in 1997.

Bringing the Railways Back

The government, especially under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, worked to fix and improve the Philippine National Railways. They repaired bridges and tracks, replacing old ones with stronger ones. They also fixed up train stations.

In 2009, new diesel trains from South Korea arrived for PNR. The company even tried a new brand name, PNR Filtrack, and a new logo. However, the next government decided to go back to the original PNR logo.

In 2011, the Bicol Express train service, connecting Manila and Naga, Camarines Sur, was restarted. This showed the effort to bring back long-distance services.

NorthRail Project and Its Restart

A big project called NorthRail was planned in 2002. It aimed to upgrade the railway from Manila to Clark International Airport. This project would have made the tracks elevated and wider. However, the project faced many problems, including legal issues and claims of corruption. It was eventually stopped in 2011.

But the idea of improving the northern railway didn't die. In 2013, the project was restarted under a new name: the North–South Commuter Railway.

Today's Developments

The PNR is now focusing on bringing back and improving its railway network. A major project is the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR), which will connect New Clark City in Tarlac to Calamba in Laguna.

PNR also reopened the Metro North Commuter line in 2018, bringing back train services to areas like Malabon. There are plans to restart cargo train services from the Port of Manila to Laguna.

In 2023, the Department of Transportation announced that PNR would temporarily stop its operations in Metro Manila for five years. This is to make way for the construction of the new NSCR line. This temporary closure will help speed up the building process and save money. New public transport options are being provided to help commuters during this time.

How PNR Operates Today

PNR Executive Building in Manila

PNR currently runs trains in Laguna, Quezon province, and the Bicol region. In the past, its trains went all the way from Tutuban to San Fernando, La Union in the north and Legazpi, Albay in the south. There were also smaller lines going to other provinces.

On March 27, 2024, PNR stopped its train services in Metro Manila. This closure, from Gov. Pascual to Bicutan and Tutuban to Alabang, will last for at least five years. It's to allow the construction of the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR). The NSCR will have elevated tracks and use electric trains, which is a big change for PNR. The old tracks will be fixed later for cargo trains and connections to other lines.

PNR trains usually run every day, except during Holy Week. During Holy Week, services are stopped for yearly maintenance, as there are fewer commuters. Trains start running again on Easter Sunday.

Current Train Services

Metro North Commuter

The Metro North Commuter line used to run from Caloocan to Makati. It was later extended to FTI in Taguig. A shuttle service also connected Caloocan to Tutuban. This line has been temporarily suspended for the NSCR construction.

Metro South Commuter

The Metro Commuter (also called Metro South Commuter or MSC) is the train service for the Manila metropolitan area. It used to go as far south as Calamba and Los Baños. This service is also currently suspended due to the NSCR construction. PNR uses different types of trains for this service, including modern diesel multiple units (DMUs).

Shuttle Service

The Shuttle Service was first started in 2014. It had routes like Tutuban to Sucat and Santa Mesa to Sucat. This service was stopped for maintenance.

In 2018, a new shuttle line was introduced from 10th Avenue to Dela Rosa. It was later extended to Governor Pascual in Malabon and Bicutan. This service is also currently suspended.

Bicol Commuter

The Bicol Commuter service runs in the Bicol Region. It connects stations in Tagkawayan, Quezon, and Legazpi, Albay, with Naga as a main hub. Some parts of this service are currently running, like Sipocot-Naga and Naga-Legazpi.

The service first started in 2009. After some stops and restarts, the Naga-Sipocot part of the service was restored in 2022. The Naga–Legazpi route reopened on December 27, 2023. Modern trains are used for these routes.

Past Services

PNR used to have long-distance train services on its North and South Main Lines in Luzon. These services have been stopped since 2014. The South Main Line was the main long-distance service after the northern line closed in 1991. However, PNR also stopped its regular long-distance services in 2006 because of natural disasters and bad track conditions.

There are plans to bring back both lines. The North Main Line area is now being used to build the elevated North–South Commuter Railway. The South Main Line is planned to be rebuilt and extended to Matnog, Sorsogon.

Cargo Services

SS Mayon, one of two ferries used to link two segments of the South Main Line prior to unification in 1938.

Moving goods by train (called freight services) used to be a very important part of PNR's work. These services continued until 2003. Since then, there have been ideas to restart freight services to help reduce traffic on roads.

As of 2021, the plans to bring back freight services are not yet active, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Train Stations

Entire line map of PNR with major stations. Includes defunct lines.

The Philippine National Railways has operated on two main lines, the North Main Line and the South Main Line. It also had three smaller lines, serving different parts of Luzon with 138 stations that were once active.

Station Design

Most PNR stations are at ground level. They usually have simple platforms and ticket booths. Many stations along the Metro Manila line have been updated with ramps for people using wheelchairs. Some stations have longer platforms to handle different types of trains.

Future PNR railway systems, like the North–South Commuter Railway, will have stations that are elevated (above ground), at ground level, or depressed (below ground). These will be similar to the stations of Manila's LRT and MRT trains.

Future Plans for PNR

The expanded network of rail transport in the Philippines before 2016.

The PNR system has been neglected for many years. Because of this, several plans have been made to fix and expand the railway network. Countries like South Korea, China, Japan, and Indonesia have helped with these plans. Most of these projects aim to modernize the main railway lines in Luzon.

The government plans a complete overhaul of the PNR system. This includes using electricity to power the trains and changing the track width from narrow to standard gauge. They also want to change from single tracks to double tracks. The new standard gauge system is expected to have about 4,000 kilometers (about 2,500 miles) of tracks.

City Train Systems

North–South Commuter Railway

The North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) is the newest project to bring back the historic North and South Main Lines, especially in the Greater Manila Area. This project has been planned since the 1990s. It will be an elevated railway system with 36 stations, covering 147 kilometers (about 91 miles). It will connect New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac to Calamba, Laguna. This will be the first main railway line in the country to use electricity. Construction started in 2019. Once finished by 2025, it is expected to carry at least 300,000 passengers daily.

MRT Line 8

As part of the government's "Build! Build! Build!" program, a new train line called East-West Rail has been proposed. This line would be mostly elevated and connect Diliman in Quezon City to Quiapo in Manila. PNR has said it will help build and operate this line. It will have 11 stations over 9.4 kilometers (about 5.8 miles) of track.

Long-Distance Train Systems

PNR South Long Haul

The South Long Haul project, also known as PNR Bicol, plans to rebuild the long-distance line between Metro Manila and the Bicol Region. This project will completely rebuild the railway and change it to standard gauge. It will start as a single-track system, but it can be upgraded to double tracks or electric power in the future.

Mindanao Railway

There are also plans to build a railway system across the entire island of Mindanao. This system could have about 2,000 kilometers (about 1,240 miles) of tracks. The first part of this project, which is 105 kilometers (about 65 miles) long, was expected to start construction in 2018.

Trains PNR Uses

PNR has used many different types of locomotives (train engines), carriages (passenger cars), and multiple units (trains that can run on their own). As of 2019, most of the trains used are powered by diesel. PNR also has special cranes on rails to help with maintenance.

Recently, PNR has been improving its current trains. Some trains have received new paint jobs with blue and orange colors. PNR has also expanded its lines and added more trips.

Images for kids

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  A Hyundai Rotem DMU with the Filtrack livery (2010)

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  An INKA-built PNR 8100 class with the new livery (February 2020)

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  A PNR 900 class locomotive with the pure orange livery (December 2019)

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  Scale model of the CRRC Zhuzhou DMU in 2019

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  2019 scale model of the NSCR train, featuring a blue livery

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  A PNR EM10000 class train with the revised red-orange livery in 2021

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  Monogram of the PNR used in the 1960s. The modern PNR seal altered its colors to blue and orange.

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  DEL 921 and 203-series coach sporting the 2011-type navy blue livery.

See also

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