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PNR Naga – Lupi Timetable
We went to the PNR Naga Station last Friday morning and got an updated timetable for the PNR trains. We also were informed that the Naga-Legazpi train service is currently suspended due to damages along the line sustained during the recent typhoon. Hopefully, that section will be repaired immediately and the service resumed.
Naga to Lupi timetable showing the first train leaving Naga at 4:29 AM and the last at 3:14 PM. There are only 3 trips.
Lupi-Naga timetable showing the first train leaving Lupi at 6:23 AM and the last one at 5:08 PM. Again, there are only 3 trips from Lupi to Naga. The first train arrives in Naga at 8:02AM. This is actually attractive to commuters as the LGU reports the train to be full. Unfortunately, the return trip in the afternoon doesn’t have a favorable schedule for those heading home from work or school.
There is potential here for people to shift to rail for the major part of their commutes. Unfortunately, the frequencies of service is too low at present. People will shift to rail if the service is frequent and more reliable. Cost-wise, there is a significant difference between road-based and rail-based transport especially over long distances. Fares via express vans between Naga and Legazpi cost 300 to 400 pesos while private vehicle may cost between 3,000 to 5,000 pesos depending on the model and arrangements. Compare those with the 155 peso fare for the PNR train.
We are also hopeful that the rehabilitation and upgrading of train services will eventually be realized. The NSCR project is currently underway with the northern line connecting Metro Manila to Pampanga and the southern line currently until Laguna. The work needs to be accelerated and that entails much resources (i.e., funding) for railways to make comeback and perhaps experience another “Golden Age.”
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PNR services from Naga City
I have yet to share the photos I took at the PNR Station in Naga City. Instead, I am sharing here the current train schedule and fares.
There are only three trips from Naga to Sipocot – two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Meanwhile, there is only one trip to Legazpi. Sipocot is in the same province, Camarines Sur, while Legazpi is the capital of Albay.
Fare rates between Naga City and Legazpi City. There are 15 stops along this route.
Fares for destinations between Naga and Sipocot
Timetable between Naga and Sipocot. It takes 1 hour and 12 minutes one way. It seems I wasn’t able to take a photo of the Naga-Legazpi timetable but the staff told us it takes 3 hours to get to Legazpi.
The station staff also told us that the train from Legazpi leaves at 4:30 AM. If it also takes 3 hours, then it arrives in Naga at 7:30AM. This can be okay for a super-commuter even at this travel time and speed (about 33 km/h). The frequency of trips between Naga and Legazpi should increase and will probably do once the PNR completes rehabilitation of what was termed as the Main Line South.
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On “levelling-up” on fare collection
I found this article on how Japan Railways East (JR East) plans to upgrade its Suica card so passengers don’t need to swipe them at the stations. That will mean practically seamless entries and exits at the stations and perhaps the elimination of most queues related to this part of rail operations. Here is the article published on Medium:
To quote from the article:
“You can currently use Suica to pay for goods and services at around 2.26 million locations in Japan. However, JR East has only issued around 31.47 million mobile Suica cards. That lags behind the two most popular cashless payment options — PayPay (66 million) and d-Barai (63 million).
The move comes as transportation cards, long a staple of travel inside of Japan, seem to be going out of style. More train companies are introducing QR code and credit card touch payment options, making the one cutting-edge technology obsolete.”
I have a Suica card as well as others like it from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Suica has really been a convenient way to pay transport fares as well as to purchase items such as drinks or snacks particularly at train stations in Japan. We are not yet at the level of the Suica card of more than ten years ago but there are lessons to be learned here in case we finally have something like it and others that make travel or commuting easier.
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Railway construction at Clark
While at Clark, we also traveled along the perimeter road to see for ourselves the state of the railway construction there. The North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) is supposed to stretch from Clark in Pampanga to Calamba in Laguna once completed. Here are some photos I took along the Clark perimeter road.
The NSCR construction is very visible from SM City Clark. So far, there is no work on the section that will cross Clark Freeport’s main gate.
Construction of the future Clark Station
A view of the construction along the Clark perimeter road from the direction of the Mabalacat gate.
Project information including safety record
A lot of people are already looking forward to the completion and operation of the NSCR. This will be another game changer as the services have the potential to change the way people in Bulacan, Pampanga and Laguna commute especially those residing in these provinces and have work or school in Metro Manila. One can classify them as ‘super commuters’ considering the distances they need to travel between their home and their workplaces or schools.
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On air quality in subways
I saw this article on Wired and immediately read it as the topic to me was interesting. I have been using when I lived in Japan in the 1990s and in Singapore in 2010-2o12. I have used the transit system in many other cities including in the US and Europe. And so the topic of air quality in subways (particularly the stations and inside the trains) got my attention. I guess this is not entirely an issue for ground-level and overhead systems like what most of Lines 1, 2 and 3 and the PNR are. Only Line 2 has one underground station (Katipunan Station) and perhaps has that issue. Here is the article about the air in subways:
Baraniuk (April 24, 2023) “The Filthy Truth About Subway Air,” Wired, https://www.wired.com/story/subway-air-health/ [Last accessed: 4/25/2023]
To quote from the article:
“The big unknown is whether all of this particulate matter is actually causing health problems for people. Millions of commuters use metro systems, in many cases for multiple hours a day, five days a week, for years on end. And thousands of transport workers spend even longer in the tunnels. But there are no widespread signs of severe or acute health problems among these populations, even if pollution levels in subways exceed recommended limits. Could there be more subtle, chronic effects, however—impacts on lung, brain, or heart function?”
Indeed, metros or subway systems have been operating for over a century and so far there is limited that we know about the health risks concerning their use by passengers. But this is something to keep in mind as the Philippines builds its first subway line in Metro Manila. The depots and the situation of workers thought may be a different matter. I recall one of my colleagues at the university doing a quick study of the Line 3 depot, which is underground (i.e., underneath the Trinoma Mall), and measurements showed the air quality to be quite bad. Imagine working there and being exposed to that everyday. Those conditions merit further study but require immediate action to improve working conditions considering the impact to health.
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On “beautiful” train stations
Here’s another article I am sharing that presents a list of some of the world’s most beautiful train stations. I say some because in my opinion, there are many others that we can consider beautiful according to various criteria and preferences. After all and as they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Funderburg, L., Cott, A. and Cherner, J. (August 1, 2022) “The 37 Most Beautiful Train Stations in the World,” Architectural Digest, https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/best-train-station-architecture-slideshow?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=spotlight-nl&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=thematic_spotlight_080122_1&utm_medium=email&bxid=5bd6761b3f92a41245dde413&cndid=37243643&hasha=cf6c402001bc473063a8744033fe9be3&hashb=ec2bb753c2e6299f5107823241955221da67bd1f&hashc=09f65c608bfb62050199733de500e3cd82827631b36d537ce8386d41a3bd1ff7&esrc=FYL_SEG_APR18&sourcecode=thematic_spotlight&utm_term=Thematic_Spotlight [Last accessed: 8/2/2022]
I’ve seen many of these stations particularly the ones in the Netherlands, Australia and the US. The wife also sent me photos of other stations in her travels in Europe and the Americas. But there are many else to include in the list depending on your taste. Southeast Asia has many though perhaps for restoration. Japan definitely has many classic and contemporary/modern designs. And Central Asia should also have many that can be compiled into a list. I wonder what we can include or if there’s something in the future to look forward to in the Philippines.
Here are a couple in my list that aren’t in the article:
Den Haag Station, The Netherlands
Santa Fe Station, San Diego, USA
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Caught (up) in traffic 