- The PNR San Pablo-Lucena Commuter Service is scheduled to reopen on June 25
- The line ceased operation almost a decade ago after collapse of a supporting structure
- It stretches 44 kilometers with two main stations and initially features four flag stops
- Travel time between San Pablo in Laguna and Lucena in Quezon will be cut to 30 minutes from the usual one hour
The Philippine National Railways (PNR) San Pablo-Lucena Inter-provincial Commuter Service will reopen on Saturday June 25, after almost a decade since it stopped operations, with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade in attendance.
The PNR San Pablo-Lucena commuter line ceased operations in October 2013 after the collapse of an abutment or its supporting structure.
The reopening 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, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.
DOTr earlier said the line was going to open in May.
The San Pablo-Lucena line stretches 44 kilometers with two main stations and four flag stops initially. It will serve four municipalities and one city in the provinces of Laguna and Quezon.
Travel time between San Pablo in Laguna and Lucena in Quezon will be cut to 30 minutes from the usual one hour.
PNR only had 36 operating stations and 93 kms of railway in 2016. With the revival of the San Pablo-Lucena line, the PNR will be expanded to 52 operating stations and 154 kms 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.
Opening the PNR San Pablo-Lucena line will usher in economic and tourism growth in the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, and nearby areas, DOTr said.
