World | Philippines
New train system offers faster links with Manila
A ground-level train system linking Manila to suburbs south of the capital was reopened on Wednesday with the new coaches making their first commercial run after the formal opening on Tuesday.
- By Gilbert Felongco, Correspondent
- Published: 22:41 July 15, 2009
Manila: A ground-level train system linking Manila to suburbs south of the capital was reopened on Wednesday with the new coaches making their first commercial run after the formal opening on Tuesday.
Dozens of passengers took the train ride aboard brand new air-conditioned coaches of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) from Manila's downtown Tutuban in Divisoria commercial district to Buendia in Makati City.
The train passed through the districts of Espana, Sampaloc, Santa Mesa, Paco, Santa Ana and San Andres Bukid.
Those who had ridden the refurbished trains said the ride down the new tracks were more pleasant. They said that for one, only a few of the unpleasant rail side sights like uncollected trash can be seen unlike before.
There was also wider safety clearance from the tracks to prevent the past frequent occurrences where rail side informal settlers would be run over by passing trains.
Although a cheaper alternative to buses and the elevated rail services, the Light Rail Transport and the Metro Rail Transport, the PNR trains were generally avoided by commuters in the past.
A ride down the tracks will tell anyone why. As the trains make their way past shanties, the commute appeared more like showcase of urban blight. The trip is long, unpleasant and hazardous.
If the commuters are unlucky, there will be an occasional plastic bag containing something unpleasant being flung on the coaches by the rail side dwellers.
But Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said all this will change with the refurbished coaches and improved scenery near the tracks.
For P16 (Dh1.2), a commuter can now expect a traffic-free journey from Tutuban and reach Buendia in less than 30 minutes.
The new train coaches will be similar to that used on the Metro Rail Transit system and can hold from 150 passengers per coach.
Mendoza said an electronic ticketing system is still being worked out.
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