After it ceased operations almost 10 years ago, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) San Pablo-Lucena line has been reopened to passengers yesterday.
In his final activities before stepping down from office, President Duterte commended the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the PNR for reopening the PNR San Pablo-Lucena line in ceremonies last June 25 saying “with effective transport system, we make places more accessible and easier to manage thereby strengthening trade within rural and urban areas.
The commuter line ceased operations in October 2013 after the collapse of an abutment or its supporting structure.
Starting June 26, the PNR line once again serves passengers going to and from Laguna and Quezon, serving up to 3,683 passengers at any given time, the DOTr said.
The San Pablo-Lucena line stretches 44 kilometers with two main stations and four flag stops, serving four municipalities and one city in the provinces of Laguna and Quezon.
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.
With the reopened PNR line, travel time between San Pablo in Laguna and Lucena in Quezon will be reduced to 30 minutes from the usual one hour by land.
“This project is proof of our commitment to enhance mobility and connectivity across the archipelago by improving our routes and bringing convenience to our fellow Filipinos. With this, we make everyone feel the change we have promised at the beginning of our term,” Tugade said.
