Some good news coming your way today, commuters: The Philippine National Railways and the Department of Transportation just completed the inaugural run of the rail line's new diesel-hydraulic locomotives and passenger coaches on January 28, according to a Facebook post by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
These new trains are the units that arrived from Indonesian company PT Industri Kereta Api in December 2020 and are part of the Philippine National Railways' (PNR) ongoing re-fleeting strategy. PNR general manager Junn Magno said it has been 50 years since the rail line acquired new mainline locomotives, and that this is the first time in more than four decades that a new fleet will serve the PNR Metro Commuter Rail Line.
These new high-capacity train sets will ply the route from Tutuban Station in Manila to Los Baños in Laguna and are expected to ferry up to 1,330 passengers per set in a single trip, or about 140,000 passengers daily overall.
PNR assistant general manager Ces Lauta noted that "the diesel-hydraulic locomotive also includes a maximum design speed of 120 kph with high clearance for flood tracks," allowing train commuters to experience smoother and more convenient rides.
Meanwhile, the passenger coaches feature five-car formations complete with CCTVs and poweful air-conditioning systems built to be suitable for temperature levels in the Philippines.
The middle coach, on the other hand, includes a conductor's room where door and light operations, among others, can be controlled. On both ends of the train sets there are also driver cabins, both equipped with A/C. These cabins provide interior access to the engine room, which the PNR says is a first.
With the new PNR trains now operational and the recent opening of the Skyway Stage 3, 2021 is looking to be a good year for motorists and commuters. In case you're looking for more reasons to be excited for travel and traffic, check out our list of 10 infrastructure projects in and around Metro Manila to look forward to this 2021:
Bantayan Island Airport
Finally, a gateway to the chill islands of northern Cebu! The new and improved Bantayan Island airport welcomed its first flight on November 27 as part of the reopening of the tourist towns of Banayan, Madridejos, and the popular Santa Fe. This landmark flight carried media and government personnel. As of December 2020, the airport is yet to announce scheduled commercial flights but AirJuan is slated to open up a Mactan-Bantayan route by the first quarter of 2021.
New Clark Airport Terminal
Looks like trudging south to NAIA will no longer be the only option. The long-awaited, brand spankin’ new passenger terminal of the Clark International Terminal is set to begin operations by January 2021, said the Department of Transportation. The terminal, with design that takes inspiration from the terrains of Mount Arayat, Mount Pinatubo, and the Sierra Madre, was completed in October. Once fully operational, it is expected to bump up the current annual 4.2 million passenger volume by up to 12.2 million.
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Source: Spot PH
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