The Philippine National Railways (PNR) presented Thursday its newest three high-capacity trains from Indonesia which can cater 1,330 passengers per set in a single trip.
Transportation officials led by Secretary Arthur Tugade, along with Indonesian Embassy Minister Counsellor Kusuma Pradopo, and other officials of the Indonesian Embassy, led the inaugural run of the three diesel hydraulic locomotives (DHL) and 15 passenger coaches starting at the PNR Dela Rosa station in Makati City which ended at the Tutuban Station in Manila.
“This administration has implemented more railways projects, has assigned more classes, has introduced new innovations, has introduced a new generation of rolling stock classes than any other administration,” PNR General Manager Junn Magno during the inaugural ceremony.
According to PNR Assistant General Manager Atty. Celeste Lauta, each train set has a crushing capacity of 1,330 passengers, making it PNR's high capacity trains.
It has a maximum design speed of 120 kilometers per hour and with high clearance for flood tracks. Its main engine has 2,200 horsepower or 1700KW and is also equipped with a power management system for fuel optimization. It also has a monitoring system with diagnostic and recorder function.
The passenger coaches consist of five car formations, in which the middle coach has a conductor's room that controls the door operation, CCTV monitoring, switch for lightings, public announcement system.
It is also equipped with a 36,000 kcal per hour airconditioning unit in each coach that is suitable to the temperature for tropical countries like the Philippines.
Magno noted that it has been 50 years since PNR acquired mainline locomotives, and this is the first time in more than 40 years that the PNR Metro Commuter Rail Line will be served by a new fleet.
“What sets these trains apart from the current train sets of PNR, is the fact that these are new diesel hydraulic locomotives, which have a water wading capacity of 18 inches,” he said.
Moreover, the new trains have two driver cabins at both ends, equipped with 7,000 kcal per hour cooling capacity at each cabin. It features an interior access to the engine room, the first of its kind for the PNR fleet.
Other officials present at the event were Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Projects Eymard Eje, Philippine Railway Institute (PRI) Executive Director Undersecretary Anneli Lontoc, Office of the Transportation Security (OTS) Administrator Undersecretary Raul del Rosario, Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns Manny Gonzales, PCG Rear Admiral Oscar Endona Jr., and other officials of the PNR.
The new train sets from Indonesia will now start operations on the PNR Metro line which runs from the Tutuban Station to Los Baños in Laguna.
With the addition of the three new train sets, the PNR Metro Commuter Line now targets to serve a total of 140,000 passengers daily doubling its existing capacity from 48,000 to 60,000 per day.
Tugade said the inaugural run of the new PNR train sets assures the riding public of safe, convenient, and comfortable travels. He noted that PNR stations have increased from 25 to the present 34.
He thanked PT INKA and the Indonesian Embassy in Manila for their support in realizing the development projects of the country, especially in the rail sector.