UNDERINVESTMENT, a train expert and a government official agreed, ultimately caused the indefinite suspension of the Philippine National Railways’s (PNR) services on Tuesday.
Diosdado N. Silva, the train line’s assistant general manager, explained on late Monday that PNR services were halted so that the government can conduct an exhaustive inspection of its train tracks to ensure the safety of its passengers and trains.
This, he said, is in the wake of the recent derailment of the oldest at grade railway system in the Philippines near its Nichols Station in Pasay last week that resulted in the injury of more than 50 passengers.
“Operations of the commuter line shall resume as soon as extensive inspections and assessments have been made and the integrity of the rail tracks has been certified safe and sound for its trains to pass and passenger safety is assured,” Silva added.
A team from Cologne-based technical and safety provider TÜV Rheinland Group is now conducting the review of the railway line’s state.
“Initial findings showed that there were missing angle bars and rail clips that support the rail joints. Without those components, the joints will be weakened,” Paul de Quiros, the state-run company’s spokesman, said in an interview on Tuesday.
The rail parts, he said, might have been vandalized—or in simpler terms—stolen. The PNR’s tracks are found bare near areas populated by illegal settlers.
“We are fast-tracking the process. There are about 60,000 passengers using the PNR daily. They will more likely ride alternative transport systems such as buses and jeepneys,” de Quiros said.
Silva, for his part, appealed to commuters to bear with the temporary inconvenience as it conducts the necessary precautionary measures.
“Despite PNR’s limited resources, we have been doing all the necessary procedures to preclude any untoward incident and to ensure the well-being of its commuters,” he said, referring to the government’s lack of investment in the railway line.
The state-run company sought for an P11-billion capital infusion this year but the national government decided to approve a P2.2-billion budget for 2015. This is, by far, the largest allocation for the railway line in this administration.
“This is the only time that our budget was close to P2 billion. We will maximize it by improving our current fleet,” the spokesman said.
From 78 trips a day, the operations of the PNR declined to 52 daily services, all because the line’s fleet has also diminished by half.
Currently, the train system has about 6 running trains, with one on standby for emergency. It used to have 11 working trains plus one emergency coach.
“We are currently preparing the terms of reference to bid out the contract for the supply of the train’s spare parts,” De Quiros said.
Sought for comment, train expert Rene S. Santiago said the broken rails might have been caused by stolen ties, or poor worksmanship. Ultimately, these causes are rooted on underinvestment.
“The proposed investment and reforms are there since 2011. There is no cure to that other than to replace the entire roster of officials in the transport department,” he told the BusinessMirror.
“I hope 2016 comes sooner,” he quipped.
At present, the PNR commuter line operates from Tutuban to Santa Rosa, Laguna, covering 23 stations over a stretch of 50 kilometers (km), and from Naga to Sipocot with route length of 35 km.
The government has ensured that the railway system will soon see improvements, as it plans to develop the dilapidated line through the P287-billion North-South Railway Project.
The first phase of the facility will involve the construction of a 36.7-kilometer narrow gauge elevated commuter railway from Malolos, Bulacan, to Tutuban in Manila. It is seen to be completed by the third quarter of 2020.
The second phase, which will extend the commuter rail up to Matnog, Sorsogon, will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2019.
The two-phase deal will be implemented under the official development assistance and public-private partnership (PPP) program.