Good news for commuters in the southern part of Luzon: the Philippine National Railway (PNR) San Pablo-Lucena line is operational once again.
President Rodrigo Duterte led the reopening ceremony of the said line on Saturday, which immediately started operations the following day.
“This is also a vital step towards restoring the PNR Bicol Express that will connect Metro Manila to the provinces in Southern Luzon and Bicol,” Duterte said in his speech.
With this new PNR line, travel time from San Pablo, Laguna to Lucena, Quezon (or vice versa) will be reduced to 30 minutes from the usual one hour travel time. The best part is, according to the management of PNR, the fare from San Pablo to Lucena is capped at less than P100.
The San Pablo-Lucena line will have two main stations and four flag stops that will be serving four municipalities and one city in the provinces of Laguna and Quezon.
This 44-kilometer inter-provincial commuter railway halted operations back in October 2013 when an abutment along the route collapsed. However, it is back in operations thanks to the efforts of the DOTr under the Duterte Administration.
Duterte reminded the next administration to continue leading the improvement of the country’s railway system. “It is my hope that you will never lose sight of this goal, as the enhancement of this vital transportation connection will be the key to unlocking even better opportunities for our countrymen,” he said.
