CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – President Duterte will lead the reopening of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) San Pablo-Lucena Inter-provincial Commuter Service Saturday, June 25.
The Chief Executive will be assisted by Transportation Secretary Art Tugade.
The PNR San Pablo-Lucena commuter line ceased operations in October 2013 after an abutment or supporting structure collapsed.
The opening of the PNR San Pablo-Lucena line is part of the rail line’s expansion program for 2022 which will extend PNR’s train service in Region 4 (Southern Tagalog). It stretches 44-kilometers with two main stations and four flag stops initially.
It will serve four municipalities and one city in Laguna and Quezon.
With the revival of the San Pablo-Lucena line, the PNR is venturing to another railway line expansion that will have 52 operating stations and 154 kilometers of railway serving Metro Manila, Laguna, Quezon, and Camarines Sur.
The PNR San Pablo-Lucena line is vital in restoring the PNR Bicol or “Bicol Express,” which connects Metro Manila to Southern Luzon provinces, including Laguna, Quezon, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon.
Through the interprovincial commuter service, travel time between San Pablo in Laguna and Lucena City in Quezon will be cut to 30 minutes from the usual one hour.
It is likewise another fulfillment of Duterte’s mandate to provide the Filipino people a more comfortable and convenient life through enhanced connectivity and mobility across the archipelago.