Tugade conducted a yearend inspection of the projects and demanded at least partial operability of the trains by 2021.

The administration is in a race with itself to beat its own deadline in providing transportation comfort to the people.

This was Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade’s statement on Wednesday as he declared that there is no space for complacency in President Rodrigo Duterte’s team.

Tugade was particular with the so many railway projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program, which is a commitment of Mr. Duterte.

“We cannot relax, not even go shopping because that is our commitment to the public. We promised that by the end of the term of the President, they would be comfortably seated in these trains,” Tugade said.

Tugade conducted a yearend inspection of the projects and demanded at least partial operability of the trains by 2021.

The common station located in Quezon City, long delayed since 2007 was declared completed, too. The DoTr chief announced the interconnection of the LRT 1, MRT 3 and 7 and Subway lines for the passengers’ ease of movement.

“All the passengers will walk here and it will happen because it is already finished. We want it partially operational before 2022. I’m pressuring myself for these projects,” Tugade said.

He also showed the current construction phase at the North-South Commuter Railway Project (Tutuban-Malolos) which employs more than 2,000, mostly from the province of Bulacan where the project will pass through.

The line, awarded to Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd., will be constructed for 42 months with a total length of 14 kilometers.

The three stations will be in Balagtas, Guiguinto and Malolos, all in Bulacan province.

Tugade said all the necessary road rights of way will be taken cared of and the government is open to expropriating the properties that will be affected by them.

Resettlement and relocation of the affected families have also been worked out by the government, he said. Most of them will transfer to Valenzuela City.

Tugade also announced a plan to visit Japan to study the subway trend in the country.

“Why are we conducting this inspection? Because I want to personally see the project and its current state. We want the promise of the President to the people to be operational before he steps down,” he said.

Another proof of the administration’s commitment was the revival of the PNR South Long Haul, also known as PNR Bicol, for which the PNR signed a deal for the purchase of new coaches from CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive.

The contract for the procurement of the standard gauge Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains was signed by PNR General Manager Junn Magno and CRRC Locomotive Vice President Wang Qiaolin, with Tugade and Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan as witnesses.

Also witnessing the signing ceremony was CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive General Manager Fu Chengjun.

On 23 October 2019, CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co. Ltd. was declared the winning bidder for the delivery of standard gauge DMU trains to the PNR.

“This is a very momentous occasion for us because this is where we will start the railway service and transform the Philippine National Railways. This train will represent the first trip for the South Long Haul Project or what we call the PNR Bicol and it would cut down significantly 80 percent of the travel time between Manila and the Bicol region,” Magno said.

“Because of PNR, under the leadership of Junn Magno, the retrogression that has happened in the past becomes a progressive effort to recapture the glory that was of PNR. And that is why, Junn Magno and his team, are trying to revive the glorious days of PNR by putting more stations, increasing it as we start from 17 to 35, improve the railway tracks, and would like, not only to put the railway tracks but put new trains and new coaches so that the realization of that glorious moments of Manila and Bicol will come to form,” Tugade said.

The project consists of three train sets of three car formations. These train sets, which are set to arrive in the country in June 2021, will be initially deployed for long haul service from Calamba in Laguna to Naga City in Camarines Sur and eventually to Legazpi City in Albay.

Tugade expressed his enthusiasm for the procurement of the new train as this will be the first time the country will have train sets with three types of accommodation. The DMU trains will feature business class, first class and second class accommodations. The trains can accommodate 168 passengers with 36 seats for business class, 52 seats for first class and 80 seats for second class.

In his message, the transportation chief once again hailed the PNR for its remarkable initiatives to revive PNR Bicol and implement reforms to improve its services.

PNR used to cover 479 kilometers of tracks from Manila to Bicol until it stopped operation in 2014 due to right of way issues and lack of trains.