Railroad Infrastructure and Transportation

[absent-minded]

Originally Posted by GreyX

Absent, so just to get things clear, are we using Chinese surplus trains? or are we gonna get new trains? If we are getting surplus trains, how do they look like, are they reasonably new?

I have no idea... i hope we get new trains cause using surplus trains on the Northrail would be just as bad as the Southrail right now - with trains that move less than 2kph... hahahaha! thats an exaggeration, but still.

well, there is an advantage to slow and old trains.... they're too slow to be derailed off the tracks! hehehehe....

I don't get why it takes so long to build railways though.... it took like 3 years to build the Megatren, right? why would it take just as long to lay down tracks along a span of 32km?? they don't have to build all those concrete pillars and stuff. and there are only 6 stations. the only thing that takes time is the squatter resettlement...

[Edmundtanso]

yeah 3 years is kinna long, maybe because of the relocation of the squatters.

they should get this done asap so they could do the phase 2!

[drwho]

those trains are cool

[absent-minded]

yeah... phase II and III should be put up soon cause that would create the first rail transport for three huge ecozones - Clark, Subic and FBGC - and would physically connect all three... but would that eliminate the plan for the Makati Monorail the mayor was planning??

[renell]

Originally Posted by absent-minded

I have no idea... i hope we get new trains cause using surplus trains on the Northrail would be just as bad as the Southrail right now - with trains that move less than 2kph... hahahaha! thats an exaggeration, but still.

well, there is an advantage to slow and old trains.... they're too slow to be derailed off the tracks! hehehehe....

I don't get why it takes so long to build railways though.... it took like 3 years to build the Megatren, right? why would it take just as long to lay down tracks along a span of 32km?? they don't have to build all those concrete pillars and stuff. and there are only 6 stations. the only thing that takes time is the squatter resettlement...

there's renovation or building of Northrail stations, fixing and renovating the rails to suit the trains, squatter removal, maybe security barriers. i dont think the gov't is planning to put secondhand Chinese trains simply into our old lines.

[Edmundtanso]

Squatters continue to defy order to vacate PNR tracks

By FRED ROXAS

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Thousands of squatters continue to defy a government order to demolish their illegally constructed structures, including big commercial buildings, on the Philippine National Railways (PNR) property stretching from Meycauayan to Calumpit in Bulacan to give way for the construction of the North Rail Manila-to-Ilocos project.


Last Monday, the Philippine and Chinese governments launched at the PNR terminal in Caloocan City the first phase of the most awaited North Rail project designed at reviving and modernizing the rail transport service north of Manila that has been abandoned for a quarter of a century now.

PNR General Manager Jose Ma. Sarasola said that China is providing $400 million in concessionary financing for the Caloocan-to-Malolos railway which will be eventually extended to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Special Economic Zone.
Sarasola said that the railway would later be extended to the Subic Freeport zone in Zambales.
Many small-time squatters alongside the PNR railway tracks in Bulacan have already started demolishing their shanties after the government financed their relocations to their former places.

The Chinese government is also partly financing the relocation of the squatters to to various housing projects.

The Department of Transportation and Communications and PNR are working on the clearing of some 235,0000 squatter shanties built dangerously close to rail tracks.

However, the owners of big commercial and residential buildings continue to ignore the government’s order to demolish their structures at their expense.

Some of the buildings, constructed without government building permits, even occupy portions of the shoulders of the MacArthur Highway.

The law provides that buildings must be at least 15 meters away from the center of a national highway.

The owners of some big commercial buildings in Malolos City claimed that these were constructed with the verbal permission of a son and close relatives of deposed President Joseph Estrada.

Other permanent buildings, including some banks and houses, were constructed with the permission of other local government officials.

Professional squatters who encroached on the irrigation system between the MacArthur Highway and the PNR tracks in Bulacan have been causing destructive floods every rainy season since 1973 in many Bulacan towns, old residents claimed.

When completed, the 32-kilometer rail project from Caloocan City to Malolos City will ferry some 350,000 commuters daily. The PNR North Rail line will be linked to the Light Rail Transit lines.

[Edmundtanso]

if they cant get the tracks cleared, the project could get delayed or stop. it's so funny how people in our country dont have any fear of the gov't!

[rico]

Originally Posted by Edmundtanso

if they cant get the tracks cleared, the project could get delayed or stop. it's so funny how people in our country dont have any fear of the gov't!

i certainly do not like to see a good project, that would benefit a lot of people, put to waste just because some people wouldn't want to cooperate.


let's unite pinoys to make our country good.

[Edmundtanso]

i agree.....these business establishment should cooperate because this project would benefit them so much!

i didn't know that there are a smuch as 235,000 squatters on the PNR line =( that's a lot of people to deal with and relocate.

[ryanr]

I hope they use new trains...

I agree, the project is taking such a long time because squatters are not willing to cooperate. But it is quite understandable because they have no where else to go. The government should relocate them to proper housing that is NOT far away from schools and jobs.

After all the relocation is completed, the project should go pretty quickly. And i think they are building security barriers to keep squatters from going back in.

[absent-minded]

China likely to expand railway funding
Source: Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, 06 April 2004
Author: Lee C. Chipongian

The Philippine government's proposal that China expand its loan agreement to include the Philippine National Railway's P2 billion rehabilitation projects for the Main Line South (Manila-Legaspi) and extension to Matnog, Sorsogon is likely to get approval soon, a trade official said last week.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary Thomas Aquino, who met with Chinese officials led by Vice Minister An Min of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) during the Philippines-China Joint Trade Committee (JTC), said Beijing" expressed willingness" to cooperate with the local agencies for the PNR projects.

China, he said, is willing to assist the country further and to reach an agreement "on the country's request for similar preferential terms for financial assistance to upgrade the PNR mainline (Manila-Legaspi) and its extension to Matnog, Sorsogon." Full rehabilitation of the PNR Southern Line operations was one of the flagship projects of the Ramos administration.

The Chinese Philippine governments in February signed a $400 million loan agreement through the Export-Import Bank of China for the development and rehabilitation of the North Rail Project Phase I-Section 1 projects, for Caloocan City Malolos, Bulacan line.

Aquino disclosed, "both sides agreed to push forward for the early implementation of the Manila north rail projects" which is being funded with special concessions.

The project will provide for an effective transport system in central and northern Luzon using a modern computer railway system, and promote the economic development in the region.

The railway project with a length of about 32 kilometers will stretch from Caloocan, Metro Manila to Malolos.

The Caloocan-Malolos segment is Phase I, Section I of the North Rail Project, which was approved by the NEDA Investment Coordination Committee in December last year.
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Hussin vows establishment of Mindanao railway system
Source: Philippine Star, Tuesday, 06 April 2004

The implementation of the ambitious Mindanao railway system will be one of the priority flagship projects of President Arroyo's first 100 days if she receives a fresh mandate in the May poll, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Parouk Hussin said yesterday.

"The President gave me her assurance that this will be one of her flagship projects since this will speed up Mindanao's economic growth," he said.

Hussin, who is running for senator under the administration ticket, said the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding committing a consortium of German, French, Austrian, Indian and Thai railway experts to jointly finance a $10-million feasibility study is the first real serious effort in jumpstarting the plan.

"The President knows it too well that what we need in Mindanao is an efficient mass transit system that would carry people and goods across the region," Hussin said.

Under the plan, a Thai-Austrian-German group will take care of the project covering the Iligan-Cagayan de Oro City line while the Indians will cover the Iligan to Zamboanga City line.

Another railway line will connect Cagayan de Oro City to Butuan City and Surigao, and another line will link Surigao to Davao City and General Santos City.
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some more good news - taken from the LRTA site. things are finally moving along in the PNR!

Looks like the Arroyo administration is really trying to create and revive new and existing railway and train systems in the country!! Mindanao gets 4 brand-new rails! we have a few MRT/LRT proposals in Manila and Cebu. And the Northrail has kicked off while the Southrail's rehab is about to start already...!! sweet!!!

[Edmundtanso]

good news! hope it would push tru very soon!

[renell]

imo the squatters are the biggest obstacle. but it should be taken care of carefully. it should not be rushed

[ryanr]

Great news, thanks absent!

China has been aiding us a lot lately with our rail programs.

This is the best i can find of a Chinese DMU (diesel multiple unit) upgraded into an EMU (electric multiple unit)


It looks quite good. Appears to be quite aerodynamic. We will probably get something like that as our DMUs are upgradable to EMUs, just like this one.

[mysaong03]

wow, they're realy gud news! & here's another one, (i cant seem to find the news article though), nway, guess what, the PNR line in the south will soon be rehabilitated as well, via a consortium led by South Korean investors. construction probably starts by the later part of the year. o diba??? ang galing!!! u see, the relocation of squatters is now underway specially in the makati area. displaced families are now being brought to a new resettlement site in cabuyao, laguna, 45 km south of manila. the arroyo admin is realy doin all the efforts to modernize our railway transport system. konting tiis na lang, it won't anymore be an agonizing wait then.

[absent-minded]

very good news!! yeah.. I heard about the South Koreans funding (?) the Southrail modernization...

[ryanr]

Yeah i read about the modernization of Southrail. Really good news, imo. I think good transportation is key to urban growth.
I'm sure the South Korean investors will do a good job in rehabilitating that discarding line.

[bagel]

Greyx-- I don't see the pictures of the converted Chinese DMUs. Tripod doesn't allow hotlinks.

[ryanr]

hmmm...i guess i didnt know it was from tripod

here is the link.
http://members.tripod.com/~railway_c...e-arrow-01.jpg
http://members.tripod.com/~railway_c...e-arrow-02.jpg

[renell]

still can't see it