The six new rail cars from Indonesia have started their operations on Philippine National Railways (PNR) tracks, adding as much as 20 trips per day for certain routes within Metro Manila.
Monday saw the Department of Transportation (DOTr) holding the inaugural trip of the new trains, which are “expected to add 18 to 20 more trips per day on assigned routes from Tutuban in Manila to FTI in Taguig City and from Malabon to FTI.”
“This is the manifestation of all our hard work and the start of the transformation of Philippine railways,” PNR General Manager Junn Magno said.
The diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains were manufactured by Indonesian firm PT Inka, a government-owned corporation. The two train sets aim to accommodate 13,500 additional passengers daily, bringing the total capacity of PNR from 60,000 to 73,500 passengers per day.
The trains arrived ahead of its February 2020 delivery schedule.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said this is a huge support to the government’s effort of increasing the operations of the PNR.
When Tugade assumed office in 2016, there were only 14 daily PNR trips. Today, the PNR undertakes 37 trips per day.
“Today, we…celebrate the transformation that is coming up and coming in, in so far as the PNR is concerned,” the DOTr chief said.
The six new rail cars are part of the 37 rail cars and three locomotives ordered from PT Inka. The remainder will be delivered in batches next year.
With the addition of these future units, the PNR will have a capacity to accommodate 140,000 passengers per day.
