When we speak with friends about trains in the Philippines, they look at me as if we told them a story out of 1001 nights. Do trains really exist in the Philippines?

Yes, they do. The first railroads had been built 1875 by a royal decree issued by King Alfonso XII of Spain. A first concession for the construction of a railway line from Manila to Dagupan was granted to Don Edmundo Sykes of the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan on June 1, 1887. So the first railway line led from Manila northwards to Dagupan. The railway was 195 kilometers long at the time of its opening on November 24, 1892.

The maiden voyage of the famous Bicol Express from Manila to Legaspi was on September 13, 1931. It was only in 1938 when the tracks Dagupan - Manila and Manila - Legaspi were connected.

But there are, or rather were, many other railway lines in the Philippines. Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte and Mindanao have all produced sugar and railways served many of the Sugar Mills, known locally as "Centrals".

The first written reference we have seen to carrying sugar cane by rail in the Philippines was on the Manila Railway in 1893. Cane was also no doubt hauled over light rails by carabao (water buffalo) to some of the many muscovado mills.

Today, only in Negros you may still see some of the old steel-horses pulling sugar cane loaded cars through the fields. On other islands they have been replaced by trucks.

During the milling season from October to April, visits can be arranged to view old steam engines still chugging to and from the mills.

If you like to travel by train, we strongly recommend the newly re-opened Bicol-Express.
Unfortunately the train travels during the night. But it is an interesting alternative to a long journey by bus. See also our Bicol Express Page.

In Metro Manila you may want to use the LRT and the MRT. But we warn you, do not use them during rush hour. It is worse than the Tokyo Underground. We also do not recommend it during the night. More information can be found in our LRT & MRT Page.

Fans of the old steam machines should go to Baccolod. In winter, during the harvest time, you can visit these museum pieces steaming, smoking and working. This is a real must for vapor addicts. See also our Sugar Trains Page.

 

Unfortunately the PNR's website is still under construction (by 01/15/2012).

Until 2011 the whole network had been down. On May 22, 2011 the old Bicol Express (green) a test run from Tutuban (Manila) to Naga proved successful. On June 29, 2011, PRN resumed operation with an inaugural run to Naga.

Maybe the last stretch from Naga City to Legaspi will be re-opened in the coming years, but there is still a lot of work to do.For more information about the famous Bicol Express plese see our special page.

There are also projects to link Manila with Subic Bay's Clark International Airport. This high speed railway project is a key condition for the development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

Construction has begun on the new USD 421 million North Luzon project, originally scheduled for completion in 2010. Two separate lines will be constructed, one for the Airport Railway, and another for the NorthRail commuter and high speed rail line serving Metro Manila and the northern Luzon provinces.

See also our Bicol Express Page.

MRT (Metro Rail Transit) and LRT (Light Rail Transit) compose together the Manila Railway Network. The original LRT lines are the yellow and purple lines in the plan on the right. MRT was the blue line. Today the systems are linked at North Avenue station, but they are still two distinct companies.

The LRT/MRT is one of the least expensive rapid transit systems in Southeast Asia, costing significantly less to ride than other systems in the region. The MRT-3, LRT-1 and MRT-2, use a distance-based fare structure, with fares ranging from ten to twenty pesos.

MRT-3 operates from 5:30 AM until 10:00 PM all days a week. The LRT is open every day of the year from 5:00 AM until 10:00 PM on weekdays, and from 5:00 AM until 9:30 PM on weekends

There are multiple extensions either planned or under construction. The new stations are marked with gray labels in the map. The MRT-7 project (gray lines) is still stuck in studies about project impacts. The MRT-8, or the East Rail Line, is a proposed 48 km line crossing through Metro Manila and the provinces of Laguna and Rizal.This project still encounters financial problems.

More information can be found in our LRT & MRT Page.

There are still some Sugar Cane Trains operating in Negros. On all other islands trucks have taken over their jobs.

And even in Negros the "steam-horses" are disappearing. The map shows the railway network of the Central Hawaiian Company near Silay in Negros Oriental.

The black crosses mark already disfunct tracks and recent satellite photos show that more and more of the tracks are overgrown by grass and bushes.

See also our Sugar Trains Page.

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