PNR Metro Commuter Line

A map of the Manila Railroad Company's local train network.

The Manila Railroad Company, which preceded PNR, operated various local trains between Manila and its neighboring provinces. Trains from Tutuban will lead to Naic in Cavite, Pagsanjan in Laguna, Montalban in Rizal, and Bulacan during the 1920s.[8]

The Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company (Meralco) also operated electrified Tranvia services in what is now Metro Manila.[9] The 100 km (62 mi) tram system reached Malabon to the north, Pasig to the east, and Libertad (now part of Pasay) to the south, making it one of the longest in Asia in 1924.[10] Both systems were heavily damaged during the Battle of Manila in World War II.[10]

The Metro Manila Commuter Service started on April 6, 1970, which started at Manila North Harbor and ended in Biñan, Laguna. During this decade, more stations were opened although some were either closed or relocated. In 1976, the commuter system peaked and extended as far north as San Fernando, Pampanga,[11] Guadalupe (located in Mandaluyong on the other side of Pasig River) to the east, and College to the south.[12] There were also services in the now-defunct Carmona branch line.[13]

In 1990, the system was undergoing renovations under the working title Metrotrak.[6] By May of that year, the system was inaugurated as Metrotren to distinguish it from the LRT Line 1, then named "Metrorail".[7] However, the Metrotren system eventually suffered neglect due to lack of funding and maintenance. Plans for expansion and rehabilitation such as the Manila–Clark rapid railway project and Guadalupe line revival was also never realized.[14]

Tracks on the Metro South Commuter section near Blumentritt station in Tondo, Manila

The Arroyo administration attempted to modernize the PNR system by rebuilding the lines and purchasing new rolling stock. PNR purchased 6 brand new diesel multiple units from South Korea and became its first order in 35 years.[15] The government was also interested in reviving the Manila to Malolos NorthRail project. However, the line stopped construction in 2011 and only pillars were built.[16] The succeeding Aquino administration rebuilt the stations along the line to accommodate high-floor trains. PNR also acquired second-hand multiple units from Japan as stopgap measures to its train fleet, ending the Metrotren era.[17] However, services were further suspended to Santa Rosa in 2014,[18] and to Alabang in 2015 due to safety issues and accidents on the line.[19] The North Main Line has also been closed.[20]

The Duterte administration, Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and PNR General Manager Junn Magno, all promised to revive and modernize the PNR and its commuter line.[21] In 2017, the Department of Science and Technology announced its first Filipino-designed train and started trial services between Alabang and Calamba in 2018.[22]

For the present network, Magno announced the purchase of 3 diesel-hydraulic locomotives, 15 coaches, and 6 sets of diesel multiple units from Indonesian rolling stock manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api or INKA. The INKA trainsets and 5 of the Hyundai Rotem DMUs will comprise a 14-train fleet that will replace the aging PNR 900 class as well as the second-hand rolling stock acquired by the Aquino administration, as these trainsets will be transferred to the Bicol Region for the Bicol Commuter services after 2020.[23] The present line will also be rebuilt during and after the construction of the North–South Commuter Railway as it will serve as an alternate transport mode to the NSCR.[24] It will be eventually envisioned to revisit and reactivate once abandoned lines and stations in the north that was once operated by PNR.

On February 16, 2023, DOTr announced the suspension of operations of the PNR system for five years, along with the Metro Commuter services, to give way for the construction of the North–South Commuter Railway. The closures, initially expected to start by May 2023,[25] began on July 2, 2023, with the suspension of the Alabang–Calamba route.[2]

All stations are presently at-grade, with most stations using a side platform layout. Most have only basic amenities, platforms and ticket booths. Rehabilitated stations along the Metro Manila line have been fitted with ramps for passengers using wheelchairs. Several stations have extended platforms, having an upper platform catering to DMU services, and a lower platform for regular locomotive-hauled services. As of August 2017, most of the stations are being extended and equipped with platform-length roofing, better ticketing office, and restrooms.

An automatic block signalling system by Mitsui was employed in the line as stated in a 1977 magazine by the International Railway Journal.[3] However, a presentation published in 2015 by the Department of Transportation and Communications stated that there is no signalling in the line.[4]

On November 16, 2021, PNR published the bidding documents for the design, installation, and commissioning of the signalling, interlocking, and level crossing systems for the 29-kilometer (18 mi) Metro South Commuter section between Tutuban and Alabang.[27] The contract was awarded to PT Len Railway Systems of Indonesia in April 2022, and the contract was signed on May 19. PT Len Railway Systems will supply their SiLSafe 4000 computer-based interlocking system. The project is expected to be completed within 16 months after the contract signing, or until September 2023.[5]

Prior to the uprade, the communications system backbone consisted of VHF radios, augmented with land and mobile phones. It was a localized system with no repeater stations.[4] From 2020 to 2022, the communications system was digitalized and computerized. In 2020, the PNR tapped Hytera to upgrade the system's communication system to a two-way radio system. The TETRA digital radio system, which is currently being used in the line, enables faster coordination in depot personnel and has a network management system, allowing tasks to be centralized and handled seamlessly. The upgrade was completed in February 2022.[28]

The tracks are built to the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge. The existing tracks are ballasted, with the rails laid on wooden and concrete railroad ties. The existing tracks consist of 37-kilogram-per-meter (75 lb/yd) rails.[29]

The Metro South Commuter (also known as MSC) is the main and only train service currently being offered by PNR that run along the Metro Commuter Line. The trains that are currently being used for this service are the 900 and 2500 class diesel-electric locomotives, ex-Joban Line 203 series EMUs donated by JR East, the South Korean Hyundai Rotem DMUs, the PT INKA 8000 class DMUs, INKA 8100 class DMUs, and the INKA CC300 locomotives and 8300 class coaches. The 8000 class DMUs occasionally perform MSC trips when the Hyundai Rotem DMUs occupy the Metro North Commuter trips. The trips are reduced upon announcements. On December 2, 2014, the new Calamba Station was inaugurated. Later that night, the MSC1907 was extended up to the said station. The MSC1937 was also extended, but only up to Santa Rosa Station.

Since July 2, 2023, regular MSC services run between Tutuban and Alabang, following the closure of commuter services until Calamba.[2]

On August 1, 2018, Philippine National Railways reinstated commuter train services to Caloocan station, as preparation for the Tutuban-Malolos railway, the first section of the North–South Commuter Railway line that will end at Clark in Pampanga. The line was reopened after the line was repaired due to water intrusion. According to claims by the Department of Transportation, it will be the most efficient way of travel between Caloocan and Makati. Services will continue operating until the completion of the Tutuban-Malolos Railway, after which the line will be mostly dedicated to cargo hauling.[38] Originally running from 10th Avenue to Dela Rosa, it was upgraded into the Caloocan-FTI shuttle service on September 10 (officially called the Sangangdaan-FTI shuttle service). On December 3, 2018, it was again extended to Acacia/Governor Pascual station, with plans to extend the service up to Valenzuela railway station, and poised to carry 120,000 passengers daily if completed.[24]

Trains servicing the Metro North Commuter service from Governor Pascual to FTI and vice versa usually stop at limited stations. Since 2019, trains servicing the MNC services now stop at all stations.

The trains used in this service are the INKA 8000 class and Hyundai Rotem diesel multiple units.

Prior to the establishment of the PNR Metro Commuter Line, the Manila Railroad had several local train services in the 1950s and 1960s. According to a timetable that was effected on August 16, 1954, local trains on the South Main Line from Manila reached Lucena station in Quezon province.[39] In the 1960s, local trains also reached San Fernando, Pampanga on the North Main Line. Services on the South Main Line were also added in the province of Laguna, and reached San Pablo and Santa Cruz, Laguna.[40]

After the intercity section of the North Main Line was closed in the 1980s, then-president Corazon Aquino inaugurated the resumption of commuter rail services to Meycauayan in Bulacan on May 10, 1990. It was part of the Metrotren program initiated by then-Department of Transportations and Communications secretary Oscar Orbos to revitalize Metro Manila's public transport infrastructure due to worsening car traffic in the metropolis.[41] The line was closed in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.[42] There were plans to revitalize the entire line and extend it to Laoag.

A section of the line was opened in 2018 from Solis to Governor Pascual. This section eventually became the PNR Metro North Commuter. The network shall extend again to Valenzuela City once a bridge crossing the Tullahan River has been constructed. However, the North–South Commuter Railway will serve as the primary commuter rail service to Bulacan and neighboring Ilocos Norte, with the PNR Metro North Commuter allotted as an alternative to the NSCR. No plans are made yet to build a MNC ground level station.

A spur line towards Carmona was opened on April 1, 1973, to serve the residents of the San Pedro–Carmona Resettlement Project. On September 11, 1976, two Rail Commuter services were designated on the line and were named after indigenous flora. The service from Carmona to Manila was called Ilang-Ilang while the returning service was called Sampaguita.[43] The Carmona services ended by early 2005.[44] The closure coincided with court cases filed in 1996 against the Philippine National Railways by private corporations that owned some of the right-of-way and was ruled out in 2008, as PNR continued to own the tracks.[45] Parts of the line remain intact, and plans to reopen the line are underway.[46]

The Shuttle Service was introduced on January 27, 2014. This service uses Hyundai Rotem DMUs and JR KiHa 52. There are 4 routes of the Shuttle Service, where trains stop at all stations along the routes.

1. Tutuban – Sucat
2. Sucat – Tutuban
3. Sta. Mesa – Sucat
4. Sucat – Sta. Mesa

This train service was removed last May 23, 2014 to give way to maintenance servicing of the rolling stock. Another reason was the 3 consecutive weeks of delays and cancellations of some train trips. The service officially returned to the line on August 1, 2018, this time, to serve from the 10th Avenue railway station up to the Dela Rosa station using a JR KiHa 350 DMU. An additional service was opened on September 10 and operated from the reopened Caloocan station to FTI station. It is now the PNR Metro North Commuter.

The Premiere Train was a special MSC service that operates from Monday to Friday, except holidays. The train being used in this special service was the KiHa 59 "Kogane" train set, which is also from Japan. The train used to stop at selected stations only, namely Tutuban, Blumentritt, España, Sta. Mesa, Buendia, Pasay Road, EDSA (flagstop), Sucat, Alabang, San Pedro, Biñan, and Santa Rosa. The service had 4 trips: MSC501, MSC702, MSC1555, and MSC1802.

It was first opened in March 2014, but it only ran from Tutuban to Santa Rosa. In May 2014, Kogane was replaced by 203 series EMU coaches due to high passenger demand. The service now stops at all stations and ran from Mondays to Saturday.

It was then extended to Mamatid, then to Calamba.

The service was suspended in December 2014 due to the inauguration of the station building of Calamba, and due to the repairs of the trainset being used for this service.

On December 1, 2019, Train services to the International Rice Research Institute inside the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños were started. Five new stations were added to the route: Pansol and Masili in Calamba Laguna, and Los Baños, college and IRRI in the neighboring town of Los Baños.[47]

The service uses the Kogane train set previously used for Premiere Train Services. The service originates from Tutuban exclusively on Sundays, while it starts from Dela Rosa from Monday to Saturday. The train only loads a limited number of passengers in Dela Rosa, FTI, Bicutan, Sucat and Alabang Stations when going southbound, but unloading in stations in between like Nichols and EDSA are allowed.[48]

The service ended in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic.

On December 16, 2019, Regular Commuter services between Alabang, Calamba and IRRI were launched. The service uses Kiha-350 DMUs and runs the full route thrice daily from both endpoints and twice from the Calamba-IRRI segment. The service ended in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic.[49]

The North–South Commuter Railway will be a train line connecting the northern and southern boundaries of Mega Manila. Once fully operational by 2025, it will connect New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac to the north and Calamba, Laguna to the south.[52][53] The line will initially have 34 stations, expandable to 41 by 2030, and expand northward to Tarlac City and southward to Batangas City by 2040. The line will have commuter rail services as well as an airport limited express service connecting Clark International Airport with Alabang station.[54]

It will be a double-track line with direct current electrification through overhead lines. The line will also be built in the wider 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge compared to the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge being used by PNR.[55] The NSCR North which will be between Tutuban and New Clark City will be fully elevated and will have both embankment and viaduct sections. while the NSCR South will feature a mix of elevated sections through viaducts, as well as an at-grade and underground section between EDSA and FTI stations. The maximum speed on the line will be up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) for commuter trains and 160 kilometers per hour (99 mph) for the airport express trains.[54] The project costs ₱777.5 billion (US$15 billion) and is one of the flagship projects of the Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Plan.

On July 16, 2019, PNR ordered 104 EM10000 class train cars from the Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-TREC) along with Sumitomo Corporation, which will be arranged into 8-car electric multiple units.[56] This is the first order out of a total of 464 EMU cars. J-TREC and Sumitomo were again awarded on January 14, 2022, for the procurement of 304 train cars (38 sets) in a separate contract.[57] An order of 56 cars (7 sets) for the airport express train are being procured as of 2022.[58]

In November 2021, PNR planned to relocate its present tracks while the NSCR South is being constructed. This was to ensure that the Metro Commuter services would remain business as usual. The line was planned to be upgraded from the present 35-kilogram (77 lb) and 50-kilogram (110 lb) rails to the UIC60 standard but would have been reduced from double-track to single-track with passing sidings as the NSCR will become the primary passenger rail corridor up to Calamba station. As part of the project, 13 new bridges were to be constructed and the line would have remained using the existing narrow-gauge track, though allowances for future conversion to standard-gauge and reintroduction of double-tracking were incorporated into the designs. The upgrades were expected to increase the maximum design speed to 80 km/h (50 mph).[59] However, on August 17, 2022, PNR cancelled the procurement for these projects due to these being "no longer feasible".[60]

Metro North Commuter services have been restored in 2018, and there are plans to further extend the line north to Valenzuela station from its present terminus in Governor Pascual station in neighboring Malabon. A new bridge crossing the Tullahan River will also be built to connect the two stations. The expansion aims to reduce traffic congestion between Valenzuela and Makati. Although these services are planned to be superseded by the North–South Commuter Railway, the present line will continue serving passenger trains and will also serve freight trains in the future,[24] as the North Long Haul line. Under the revitalized plans to reach Ilocos and its old terminus in La Union, it will be funded through Public-Private Partnership.[61]

The intercity section of the PNR South Main Line will be rebuilt under the PNR South Long Haul project. A new 639 km (397 mi) line will connect Metro Manila with the Bicol Region.[62] The entire section will also be built in standard gauge, similar to the NSCR but there will be no electrification. The line will also traverse the present Metro Commuter Line, initially from Calamba station by Phase 1, Sucat station by Phase 4, and eventually to Tutuban station.[63] Since the intercity services will traverse the narrow-gauge line, there will be a dual gauge network between these stations and IRRI station.